Tuesday, Decemeber 14, 2021

Today happens to be Roast Chestnuts day!

Justin Bieber and Usher Sing  Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire.

Check In (3-5 mins)

Theme of the Week and Skill Builder 

• Theme: Do’s and Don’ts of Cold, Dark Winter 
• Skill Builder: Managing resources and planning for winter (people and animals)
• We’ll learn about how winter affects our bodies and relationships.

Recap yesterday’s topics 

Winter Sports

What is your favorite sport in the winter Olympics? Is it an ICE sport or a SNOW sport? Do you do that sport? Have you ever looked into Special Olympics for winter sports? 

Covid Mitigation Moment (5 min)

Wash hands and sanitize

PRESENTERS: the Handwashing FACT Sheets pages come in different languages. Click on the one that is good for your group.

• CDC: When & How to Use Hand Sanitizer in Community Settings
• CDC: Handwashing Fact Sheets—

Thematic Activity 01 (5-10 min)

Holidays cheer and spririt is everywhere once thankgiving comes around. We are happy and jolly. Like to stay warm and cozy, maybe spend a little more time in bed or cuddled in a blanket. All of this is okay! And sometimes out bodies gain a little bit of weight, just cause the winter season is one filled with many indoor activites. But is it a myth or a fact- we tend to gain weigth each winter? Test your opinion and check out the article below. 

Why do we tend to gain weight in winter time?

Thematic Activity 02 (10-15 min)

Animals in winter time around the world. Animals have to change some of their day to day life becuase of the cold winters. Nature is amazing, they can survive those cold nights and stormy enviroments. 

• Create a list of animals that you think can survive the winter snow?
• Compare  the list with the video below. 
• Discovery: 5 Animals That Do Winter Better Than You (YouTube)
• Did you guess all 5 of those animals before watching the video?

Skill Builder (10-15 min)

How not to get S.A.D. - Did you know that it is very common for people to feel down or sad when the season changes to colder weather? Check out the video below for a clear definition.

• S.A.D. Explainer (YouTube)

Do you ever feel sad or moody during the winter? Did the facts in the video surprise you? What is something that you learned that you would like to share with outhers? Share thoughts with group and after check out the tips below.

• APA: S.A.D. Tips

What did we learn today? 

What are we doing this afternoon? 

Wednesday December 15, 2021

Today happens to be Bill of Rights Day!

Which amendent would you like to learn more about?

Well Being and Social Connection   

Check In (3-5 min)

Theme of the week and Skill Builder 

Today’s focus is winter in other cultures 

Recap yesterday’s topics 

Snow Memories

Sharing memories of snow. Have you lived in a place that gets snow? Have you been to the snow with family or friends? What are your favorite memories of snow? Do you like it or dislike it? Why or why not? 

Covid Mitigation Moment (5 min)

If you go into a public space they will ask you questions at the door before they take your temperature. It's a good idea to be ready to answer. 

Below are the common screening questions.

PRESENTERS: Work on one question at a time and help people who have low expressive language or English to come up with a strategy for answering. 

1. Do you have any of the following symptoms?

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle pains
• Loss of taste or smell
• Runny nose or congestion
• Sore throat
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Vomiting

2. Do any members of your household have any of the above symptoms?

3. Have you traveled recently?

4. Have you been in contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past two weeks?

5. Are you or a family member awaiting COVID-19 test results?

Thematic Activity 01 (10-15 min)

During the Winter, different cultures and places celebrate special holidays. Take a look at the video below to explore those holidays around the world. Can you take a guess of what those holidays are? 

Winter holidays around the world. 

True Life

Have you ever been snowed in? It can be very dangerous. People get snowed in and at times have to live with out water, heat or electricity for day's. Read about Nikole's story and how she took steps to prepare. 

Snow and Disability: Nickole Sheron's Story 

PRESENTERS: Read just Nickole's Story or have group memebers take turns reading

Thematic Activity 02 (5-10)

Winter foods around the world. Share your own traditions with your group, or things you've learned from traveling. Check out the article below to view some popular dishes.

• Popular Winter Foods
• Have you tried anything from the list?

Skill Builder (5-10 min) 

Winter Self Care plan  

Review the self-care plan as a group and see which items make sense to you. 

What did we learn today? 

What are we doing this afternoon? 

Thursday, Decemeber 16, 2021

Today happens to be National Chocolate Covered Anything Day!

Check In (3-5 min) 

Theme of the week and Skill Builder 

Today’s focus is on sleep and how to make sure your body doesn’t get all out of whack when it comes to your sleep schedule 

Recap yesterday’s topics 

Winter Meals

Favorite cold weather meals. What is your favorite thing to eat when the weather is so cold? Do you make it yourself or does someone else make it? Is it  home-made or store-bought? What are the features of it? Is it rich or salty or sweet? 

<Body Break>

Thematic Activity 01-Staying Safe in Shared Housing (5-10 min)

If you live in a board and care home, or with rent with roommates, and can't do some home maintenance items, you still have a right to be safe in your house. The people who do have the ability to keep your home safe can tell you if they have taken care of these things. Look at this check list together. 

1. Which items would you need help with?
2. Whom can you ask to get them done? 
3. Practice how you would ask for help. 

I Spy: Winter Objects

Share screen and use the color annotation options to see how many objects you can find as a group. 

Thematic Activity 02 - Sleep in Self-Care (5-10 min)

This week we talked about how the season's can have an affect on our moods. But did you know that it can also change our sleeping habits?

• Do you currently get enough sleep?
• How many hours do you sleep per night?
• Is sleeping more a goal of yours for the new year?

Click this link and learn learn about things that affect sleep in winter time.

<body break>

Skill Builder - talking about your needs (10 min)

When we live with other people we often need to negotiate for our schedules, especially when it comes to sleep. Discuss these questions to find out what you need to get a good night's sleep.

1. Do you fall asleep easily? Or does it take time?
2. Do you need silence, or can you ignore a little noise?
3. Do you use any equipment or devices to help you sleep? (C-pap machine, humidifier, air purifier, radio)
4. Do you need complete darkness or do you need a little light to feel comfortable?
5. Practice "I need" and "I prefer" statements about your needs.

*Winter Self-Care Plan Part 2 (5 min)

Share this checklist too and see which items you want to keep an eye on during the season. Add your own ideas too, of course!

What did we learn today? 

What are we doing this afternoon? 

Friday, December 17, 2021

Today happens to be National Maple Syrup Day!

Check In (3-5 min)

Theme of the week and Skill Builder 

Today we’ll focus on the beauty of winter  

Recap yesterday’s topics 

Romance

Favorite romantic moment. It can be from your life, from a movie, a story, or a show. 

Thematic Activity 01 (5-10 min)

Taking Pictures During Holidays and the Rule of 3rds. 

If you take pictures this holiday season, use the rule of 3rds to "compose" or "frame" your photos. The rule of thirds says pictures look better when we put the focus of the photo on an intersection of an imagined tic-tac-toe board. 

Here is a winter scene that demonstrates the rule of thirds. 

1. Can you find the intersections of the lines? 
2. What interesting things in the picture are at or near the intersections? 

Here is another example. The clear points of interest are on intersections.

Draw the lines on these photos with the annotation tool to find out if the photographer followed the rule of thirds. It doesn't have to be exact.

01

02

03

If you have a hope tablet or a phone, you have a camera. If your group would like, you can practice taking photos with your device and sharing them with your group.  

Thematic Activity 02- Music that Sounds like Winter (10-15 min)

Musical instruments come in many forms. This is an instruments that uses MARBLES! to make sounds. See what you think.

PRESENTERS: Purposely describe this instrument as best you can not just for the people who may not be able to see it, but also to help everyone practice describing things that are not common sights. It's an excellent communication challenge.

Vivaldi's Winter portion of the composition Four Seasons

Vivaldi is a famous composer of classical music and Four Seasons is one of his most famous pieces. This is PART of a longer symphony but as you listen to the music imagine snow, tiny animals trying to survive, the fading light, the shivering feeling of being cold, and the danger that winter can pose in the wild. 

PRESENTERS: the movement is long (9 min) so play it as long as interest holds.

Nordic Chant

The human voice is an instrument too. Listen to this example of using the voice to make us think of winter. 

Then, in your group, try to find sounds you can make that remind you of winter. Each person choose a sound and repeat it in a rhythm, then the next person can add theirs and so on until you are all creating a winter sounding combination. 

Skill Builder - Getting Clear About Winter Needs (10-15 min)

Get clear about our needs this winter and practice talking about it with people we trust. Especially during Covid, we need to understand our needs for social time and solitude. Since Fridays are about fun with friends, let's consider our social needs. Discuss the following questions.

1. What happens inside your body when you feel like being alone? What sensations do you feel? Do you notice any emotions related to that?
2. How does it feel inside when you want to be around people? Do you have any sensations in your body? Do you notice yourself thinking particular thoughts?
3. If you are in a group, or around people and you feel like being alone, what can you say to get some solitude that won't hurt someone's feelings, or make them feel rejected?
4. If someone asks you for solitude, do you feel hurt? If so, what can you do to manage that feeling?
5. If you want company and you are at home these days, are there people around you can hang out with?
6. How do you ask for companionship?
7. What can you do if the person you ask can't do it for some reason? Who else would you approach?
8. What about when we want to see a particular person? How can we try and connect with that person, even if we can't go visit them directly?
9. Sometimes we want company and we just can't have it. Or, we want solitude but it's just not something we can do right then. How do help yourself cope? 

Games  and Puzzles

Hannukah Dreidel Game (play for points)

PRESENTERS: click on the dreidel to spin it

Winter Jigsaw Puzzle

What did we learn today?

What are we doing this afternoon?

Need some help deciding on an afternoon activity?

Spin the Activity Wheel!  

The activities are numbered. These numbers corrospond to brief activity descriptions listen in the linked document below. 

Activity Wheel Details