I work within a care home and I am researching for new activities for the residents and theme days within home. Can anyone give me some ideas thank you.
Popular music of their time is a great memory jogger. You could find out an age bracket and use the web to gather together tracks from the hits of the 1930s, 40s etc.
If most of the folk come from a local area, make a scrolling powerpoint of old photos (again, often loads online) and leave it running, see who rcognises what.
If resources allow you could help out with digitising the folks' own photos so they can be shared easily with the rest
Some of the things we did in ours- quizzes, bingo, crafts, gardening, getting local singers/choirs/musicians/magicians in. a piano sing along was always very popular. Armchair exercises/dancing. Flower arranging, painting, making soft toys. Talks from local people, pat-a-dog, small animal days (rabbits, guinea pigs etc). Films. Fish and chip suppers, reminiscence groups. Bowling, indoor basketball, cards, puzzles from newspapers, jigsaw races, charades.
Also get a giant beach ball and gently throw around between them, the residents will resist to start but even the most stayed residents cant resist bashing the ball, its harmless, the residents will love it and it gives them great exercise as they reach to bash it with their hands and feet to hit the ball.