Archive for category: News

For those who love watching dancing or getting out on the dance floor, here is a nostalgic activity that recognizes different dance styles throughout the last 100 years. Using YouTube, explore videos of the Charleston, swing, tango, twist and disco. Ask your activity partner about their favorite dance and if they have any memories of dancing. One Hummingbird client shared that she loved to square dance when she was a teen, and her mother  danced the tango! Allowing time to reminisce adds positive energy and warm memories to your activity time. To go one step further, add physical movement by dancing together or offering chair dance with arm movements! 

With the delicious holidays approaching, Mindfulness Eating is a special way to savor the flavors of the season. This can be done with just about any food, but make sure it’s not too messy and can be easily held in your hand. Also, if your activity partner has any swallowing issues, be sure to select foods that are safe for them to consume. 

Before you pick up your food item, explore these questions with your activity partner: How does it look?  What color is it? What’s the shape? Then pick up the food item and ask: How does it feel? What is the texture? Bring the food up to your nose and get curious about how it smells. Take a bite and very slowly chew, paying close attention to the flavor and how it feels against your tongue and teeth. Continue bringing this awareness to every bite. How do you feel? Get lost in the moment and see where it leads you.

With the beautiful fall weather upon us, grab a scarf and a blanket and invite your activity partner to find a nice quiet place to connect with nature. This could be a nearby park, your backyard, walking trail, lake or even the beach.  As you are surrounded by nature, be mindful of what you hear, smell, see, and feel. Take a few minutes to enjoy the beauty. After you have spent several minutes outdoors, discuss with your activity partner how you feel. Do you feel relaxed? Does being in this particular setting bring back any memories from your past?  You can also explore the sounds of birds in the trees or textures of leaves, rocks, sand or pine cones. Relax and enjoy the many gifts of nature and each other’s company. 

This time of year offers so many inspiring ways to stimulate our senses! An outing to a pumpkin patch is a great way to connect to the cool, crisp air, community and the various colors and shapes of pumpkins. The textures of gourds offer another fun way to explore the sense of touch. Gather a variety of gourds and small pumpkins and place them on the table. Explore the bumps and unusual designs that make them imaginative and curious. Ask you activity partner to choose their favorite and share why. And don’t forget the apple cider to engage that incredible sense of flavor and taste!

With children now well into the school year, hand tracing is a fun way to remember those youthful days. It’s also a special way to help loved ones hold on to special memories (pun intended).

Start by inviting your activity partner to place their hands on a large piece of paper. Once placed, begin to trace their hands. If you want to get fancy, ask what color fingernails they’d like to have! Then encourage your activity partner to name ten things they treasure most in their life. , Write one treasure on each finger of their hand tracing. Display the finished design in visible area where those valuable memories can been seen and revisited frequently!

This can also be a fun intergenerational activity for parties and family gatherings, done with any activity partner, young and old alike!