How to Plan Meaningful Activities for a Day Program

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By Jane Smith
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Planning meaningful day program activities begins with getting to know the individual participants. The best activities provide opportunities to demonstrate skills, use strengths, and increase knowledge. Here's how to plan meaningful activities for a day program.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

The individual participants
A notebook
Someone to record ideas

Brainstorming...

Step 1

Speak with each of the participants in the program. Ask what each enjoys doing. Have someone record everyone's ideas.
Be sure to ask each person to name something they have always dreamed of doing but did not think it was possible.
Step 2

List each person's strengths. Brainstorm ideas for activities that allow each person an opportunity to shine.
Step 3

List any supports needed for each person to fully participate in the activity. Provide any needed adaptive equipment, such as wrist braces, drawing boards, lap pads, wheelchair trays, mouth sticks, communication boards, paddle switches, and any other device that allows a person to fully participate in a given activity.
Step 4

Brainstorm additional activities that enhance mental, physical and emotional health.
Step 5

Collect all needed supplies for each activity. Create boxes or bins which can be moved easily from room to room as people's attention and interests demand.
Step 6

Make a Math and Budgeting Kit. Include rulers, tape measure, measuring cups and spoons, flash cards, a teaching clock (use a real clock, not a child's toy) sheets of various coin and bill combinations, menus from local restaurants, ads from the newspaper and magazines, and any other number related items you can find.
Step 7

Create a Voting Rights Bin. Include pamphlets from local politicians, campaign literature, voter registration cards(or sample cards if your state does not allow real ones to be released). Add news commentaries from local newspapers and printouts of online debates between candidates. Remember to include a taped version of all materials so that those with visual issues can also participate fully.
Step 8

Have some fun and games. Fill a bin with cards, dominoes, checkerboards, puzzles, mah jong tiles, backgammon boards, and any other board game can be included.
Step 9

Make a Sensory Integration Kit. Add brushes, gel pads, tension relievers, squeeze balls, therapy clay, hand instruments such as bells or tambourines, textured balls, and various noisemakers such as rain sticks are great. Also include scented pens, scratch and sniff stickers, bubbles, bubble wands, bubble wrap, sand, and any other item which can be used to stimulate the five senses.
Step 10

Have a Spa Treatment. Include nail files, cuticle sticks, cotton balls, cotton swabs, nail polish remover, various shades of nail polish, scented lotions, facial masks, gloves, paper towels, and anything else that will allow for pampering. Encourage participants to sniff various natural scented lotions. Allow the individual to test a very small amount of the product on their wrist before continuing.
Step 11

Create a Literacy and Literature Box. Fill a box with various classic novels, a wipe off maker board and several markers, a few crossword puzzle books, inspirational and religious texts and tracts, recipe cards, several notebooks and pens, glue sticks and felt or foam letters. Also include sign language demonstration sheets, song lyrics for Christmas caroling, and any other reading related articles you can find. Participants can help one another, with one person pronouncing words, another spelling them, and a third putting letters in order to learn to read or to improve existing reading skills. Be very sensitive to potential embarrassment. Allow non-readers a private place to work if they wish. Be encouraging and upbeat about progress.