A fantastically energetic week at Hill House this week as we took a look back at the British tradition of school sports day. Games that are played on sports days can be wide and varied. They can include straightforward sprints and running as well as egg and spoon races, three legged races, sack races, wheelbarrow races, and obstacle races. Residents and staff got stuck in with lots of exercising and sporting activities throughout the week.
Monday morning, we enjoyed video calls and videos that have been sent in by our loved ones. As well as reading short stories as a group. Others enjoyed a morning of quiz questions and trivia style games about sporting events.
Monday afternoon the weather was slightly cooler but still warm enough for us to enjoy a giant cross word game in the garden.
In the Garden View lounge, we played white board games and word puzzles, we only need five minutes per day on brain boosting puzzles or games in order to significantly increase our mental wellbeing. Others took time out of the main activities for walks around the gardens here at Hill house.
Tuesday mornings cooking club was very busy this week as we weighed and measured out the ingrediency for cookies and biscuits. Making multiple batches of cookies with an array of flavours; vanilla, chocolate chip and lemon.
Birthday High Tea in the courtyard garden with lots of present sent in from loved ones, we enjoyed reading the cards together and admiring the beautiful gifts and yummy cake. The morning ending with a group singalong session before enjoying a yummy lunch together.
In the afternoon we came together to test our hand at a new game Boccia. Boccia is a target ball sport which tests both muscle control and accuracy. From a seated position, we propel balls to land as close as possible to a white marker ball, known as the Jack. We had great fun together and the afternoon was filled with lots of laughter.
As part of Floristry Club this week we carefully trimmed and arranged bright pink, yellow, orange and green flowers in vase to be displayed around the home. Floristry club was followed by board games in the garden view lounge.
Wednesday morning, we took a wonder around the garden and fed the fish in the pond, others spent time discussing their memories of sports day and the races they had been involved in at their children’s sports days at school and how competitive it has now become.
During our morning reminiscing we discussed a range of new parachute games, along with other games that include exercises. We were eager to try out the new parachute game that afternoon, using the parachute and answering questions at the same time. It is great as we can get to know a little more about our carers as they play along with us. The garden view lounge we enjoyed games of quoits and balloon bounce as part of our varied exercise program.
Thursday morning, we took on this months Quiz, we look forwards to our monthly themed quiz, answering questions about the month of June, it is fascinating to recall all the fun, crazy and memorable things that have taken place in the month of June over the years.
Having a wide selection of activities to choose from each day ensure we will always find something we like to take part in. Dancing improves, strength and muscle function, as well as increasing balance and flexibility. Our interactive activity centre using music and movement to promote dancing, by dancing across the floor we can reveal hidden objects hidden on the projection on the floor.
After lunch we took time to update our scrapbooks filling them with great pictures taken over the last week. Our scrapbooks help us to preserve memories and share with each other the activities we enjoy. We also created digital art work using the interactive activity centre and played snakes & ladders and the card game snap.
Inspired by the board game we enjoyed a life-size game of Hungry Hippos, as our marvellous activity team found a unique way to keep us entertained. There were booms of laughter and shouts of encouragement as we worked hard to collect as many balls as we could while others tried to sweep them back out in the game.
One Resident said: “I love Hungry Hippos, I used to play it with my grandchildren, I remember it as noisy game when we played it, and it certainly was still just as noisy and great fun!”
Friday morning, we were treated to manicures and hand massages as part of our pamper morning and relaxation. Our knitter natter group is still busy making squares for our blanket as well as heart shapes for decoration.
Friday afternoon was Hill House sports day and the activity team had created some fun sports day games.
In the garden view lounge, we enjoyed a game of tennis and challenged ourselves to keep the balloon in the air for over 100 rallies, we managed 108 on our first attempt and fell only slightly short every time after that. We then took on a serious of small sporting challenges from basketball, catch and bean bag toss to climb up the sports day leader board and be crowned champion of sports day 2020.
In the main lounge the activities team had arranged an obstacle course, we had to complete each challenge before moving on to the next, staff helped us move between the obstacle’s and race down the track, the lounge was full of cheering and support. We raced against each other throwing bean bags into buckets, putting on silly hats, knocking down bowling pins before racing to the finish line. No sports day would be complete with out an egg and spoon, the only problem is the more we laughed the more we lost the egg off the spoon it was a fantastic afternoon.
Saturday morning saw men’s club work together to create a mini golf target game, and the conversation was following, discussing sports we had played, wished wed played and would never play.
Other activities we enjoyed on Saturday morning included therapeutic colouring and art work as well as a discussion group about attending School, playground songs and rhymes.
The afternoon was full of music and singing, we played instruments along to music and sung together in the lounges.
Although classics board games can be fun, it’s important to mix it up with something new. Board games have had a resurgence in the last decade, and a new collection is just waiting to be discovered. The good news is a majority of modern games feature rules similar to classic games while putting a fun new spin on them. Sunday morning we took on new board games as well as the trusted favourites; the price is right, snap, snakes and ladders and uno.
Sunday afternoon as most of us settle down to the movie of the week, a bag of sweets, ice-cream and a glass of something refreshing, others explored their creative side painting aqua art and relaxing with classical jazz music.
