A week of fun and games at Hill House as residents got into the Halloween spirit with spooky games, crafting fun Halloween party decorations and carving exciting faces in pumpkins. It was so much fun to celebrate Halloween with a big Halloween fancy dress party, live music and ghost cupcakes.

Monday morning, game of floor bowls in the lounge, we enjoy the social aspect of the game and it never fails to draw a big crowd of players.

We took part in Halloween themed therapeutic colouring in our garden view lounge, after we mounted them on card and hang the around the lounge as decorations.

Spending time relaxing and engaged in hobbies we love is an important part of our wellbeing. A special birthday was celebrated in the visiting gazebo with family and loved ones.

That afternoon we gathered around the TV screen to complete a Halloween themed Quiz game, we love this style of quiz because it has a mixture of quiz formats; picture rounds, word rounds and even sound clips.
Alternatively, some took part in a reminiscing afternoon in our garden view lounges, exploring the household names in our rummage boxes. Reading the boxes on British shops and how TESCO or Marks & Spencer got their names and their humble beginnings. We also shared our stories and memories of the smaller independent traders on our local High streets.

Tuesday morning started with a ghostly game of skittles and Witches hat toss. Most of us would have grown up playing variations of these games so attempting them to the Halloween theme was great fun and as we knocked down the skittles ghostly eyes rolled around the floor making us laugh.

Arts and crafts club this week crafted stunning Halloween decorations, pumpkins, spiders and skulls.
Engaging in hands-on creative activities positively impacts motor, social and cognitive skills and the joy we get from seeing our decorations displayed is fabulous.

We gathered in the lounge after lunch to enjoy a piano resettle by our talented care partner. Music improves our moods, brings back happy memories, encourages socialisation and promotes overall mental and physical health in all of us in our own unique ways.

Wednesday morning started with the traditional activity of pumpkin carving. It is sticky and messy and so much fun! Did you know why every year we carve scary or funny faces into pumpkins. It comes from the Irish myth of ‘Stingy Jack’ a mischievous man who used lite up pumpkins to scare away evil spirits.

Brain training games get us all up and thinking first thing in the day. We played a Halloween themed, Can you name sweets or object all related to Halloween.

Afternoon of pumpkin carving in the lounge as we cut, scraped and designed stunning pumpkin faces.
Our pumpkins are displayed in the lounge, light up by electric candles and as the night draw in darker we may see them light up the lounge in the evenings.

Spending the afternoon playing balloon games and participating in our movement to music exercise programme keeps up all fit and energised.

Thursday morning trip to the hair dresser is fun for everyone, chatting with one another, reading magazines while we are under the dryer, it’s a great social event that takes part each week. Coming out looking glamours is just a bonus.

Stunning floral displays were created in our floristry club this week, with autumnal colours and the fresh sent of flowers filling the lounge it is a great activity for all the senses.

Thursday afternoon we unboxed a jigsaw puzzle and together we worked hard all afternoon to complete it. The conversation flowed and we noticed images in the jigsaw that triggered memories of visiting chocolate box cottages on our holidays.

Super proud of this month’s staff achiever at Hill House Sarah Hook as we looked on with pride, she was awarded the staff achiever by Alison.


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In addition to beautifying our surroundings, flower arranging encourages improved manual dexterity, promotes sensory stimulation and can also reduce stress.

Friday morning our garden view lounges enjoyed a small Halloween party with cakes and drinks. Our activities team dressed up and we spent the morning singing and dancing along to Halloween songs.

Giant trivial pursuit is a fun twist on the traditional board game. Our activities team have created this game so that we mix exercise with knowledge while working in a team to be the first to answer a question from each category correctly. We play to our own strengths and look forward to playing it.

A patch and repair job was needed for our mini golf game. By cutting out new fabric and reinforcing its structure we have improved its performance.

The big event to round off the week was our big Halloween specular. Decorations were hung, Staff had pulled out all the stop with fabulous fancy-dress outfits. We gathered ready to hear the beautiful Lauren sing for us, she came dressed as a Skellington but had the voice of an angel.

We spent the afternoon dancing and singing along to the music.

After the excitement of the singing and dancing, we tucked into a party buffet of cakes and savoury snacks.

Saturday morning with our new and improved mini golf set, we took turns on the putting green to build up our score.

Followed by a quick fire quiz game, shouting out answers to see who can answer the quickest leads to multipul answers being shouted out and often all in a muddle witch makes everyone giggle.

Meanwhile in the garden view lounge we took on a game of Qwirkle. Qwirkle consists of 108 wooden tiles, we use them by taking turns to make lines that are either all one colour or all one shape. It is a great Abstract game that kept us thinking on our toes.

Saturday afternoon we settled down to watch a weekend movie a time for relaxation after a busy week.

Sunday morning is the perfect opportunity to gather in the lounge for a small gentleman’s group discussing a variety of topics, planes, cars, houses and the army over a cup of coffee and the morning newspapers. We finished our gentlemen’s group with a game of shut the box a game of simple math and dice.

Sunday church service streamed on the big screen in the lounge for those who wanted to take time for prayer, reflection and singalong to the morning hymns.

While others took walks outside in the sunshine between rain showers, looking at the leaves and the colours of the trees. Indoors we looked at flowers and read magazines on natural and the winter months.

Sunday afternoon started with a sing along in the lounge and a dance with staff.

We then tackled the giant crossword puzzle. Engaging in problem solving activities, such as solving crossword puzzles, can help to protect your aging brain research shows.

Special birthday Tea party was in full swing, with sandwiches, cakes and lots of tea and coffee. It was great to have family joined the celebrations on skype.

With a glass of fizz and lots of yummy cakes surrounded by friends it was the perfect birthday celebration.