Off The Bench! 

Activities that involve the outdoors, horticulture, environment, and animals are included here. Get the group Off the Bench with a P.O.P. © program, Pet therapy, Outdoor groups and Plant therapy. Have a question or an activity idea that you want to suggest? Visit our feedback page. Need to place an order? Head for the Therapy Resources Inc. Store.

Read the information and try the activities. 

Do you remember playing in your backyard or your neighbors as a kid? How about playing on the sidewalk in front of the house? Children today are so involved in organized sports and other activities or spending so much time in front of TVs and computers that they seldom just play in the yard anymore. 

 Backyard Games Week is this month and a great opportunity to introduce some backyard games into the recreation activities part of your program. Many of your residents will remember playing in the yard and what their favorite games were. Ask them to choose a few favorites and play them as an intergenerational group activity. Below are some ideas and links to get you started. 

Activities: 

Croquet is a lawn game that started in France. Click the link to get rules and history. Try this link for rules for a fast game of golf croquet good for groups.

Horseshoes , scroll down to rule six at the horseshoe site link to learn how to play this game that came from Greece.

Miniature Golf  , this link will take you to the British MiniGolf Association competition rules for a game that was developed in Pinehurst North Carolina.

Frisbee  the World Flying Disc Federation has rules for several different games to play with this toy that started out as a pie plate from the Frisbee bakery. Students played with it at Yale University in Connecticut. 

Badminton a sport that had it's origins in ancient Greece. Men, women and mixed ages can play together. 

Still need more games and game ideas? try the Co-Op Sports Manual (Co-OP Sports Manual) available in the store. 

After everyone has had a chance to try a game, have a picnic auction. The bidders bid on the picnic setup not the food and then sit down to enjoy their lunch at the setting they win. Follow the rules available in TRI! Auction available in the store (Auction!) or from NASCO.

Each participant can Keep a log of the time spent doing activities eligible for the Mature Fitness Award such as badminton, miniature golf, and horseshoe pitching. 

Host a senior fitness day event at your facility on National Senior Health and Fitness Day; May 26. 

It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English -- up to fifty words used in correct context -- no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese. 

Carl Sagan

© Therapy Resources Inc. PO Box 452 Ambler PA USA 19002

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