Do you ever feel stuck when planning activities or struggle to find inspiration?
A dream board could be the perfect solution.
Dream boards, also known as vision boards, are creative tools that can help you visualise, organise, and achieve your goals.
For care home activity coordinators, dream boards are a fantastic way to generate ideas, focus on residents’ needs, and ensure activities align with your care home’s values and residents' wellbeing.
Here’s how to create a dream board for your care home activities and how it can help you plan engaging and meaningful sessions that are purposeful and fun.
What is a dream board?
A dream board is a visual representation of your goals and aspirations. It’s made by pinning or pasting images, quotes, and ideas onto a board or large sheet of paper.
For activity coordinators, this board becomes a space to:
Brainstorm ideas - Include seasonal themes, residents’ preferences, and new trends.
Highlight priorities - Focus on the types of activities that residents enjoy most.
Visualise success - Imagine how your activities can bring joy, connection, and purpose to residents.
How to create a dream board.
Gather your supplies - you will need:
A corkboard, poster board, or large piece of paper.
Magazines, printouts, and photos.
Scissors, glue, and drawing pins or staples.
Markers, stickers, or decorative items. including drawings or colourings made by the residents.
Decide on themes.
Think about the key areas you want to focus on:
Spring - Nature's awakening, Traditions and Festivities, Spring cleaning.
Residents' interests and hobbies - knitting, cars, baking or music.
Wellbeing goals - Include ideas that promote physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.
Involve the residents.
Creating a dream board can be a fun and inclusive activity for the residents:
Ask for input - During a group session, ask residents to share their activity ideas or dreams.
Add personal touches: Include photos of past activities, quotes from residents, or items that hold special meaning. Encourage residents to add their own drawings or colourings and other decorative pieces made by them.
Collaborate: Encourage residents to cut out images or decorate the board to make it truly theirs.
Add visuals.
Once you’ve collected ideas, bring them to life with visuals:
Images - Find pictures that represent the activities you want to plan. For example, photos of tea parties, craft supplies, or nature walks.
Quotes and affirmations - Add motivational phrases like “Bringing joy every day” or “Creativity has no age.”
Milestones - Include goals, such as organising a spring fair or hosting a themed party.
Place your dream board somewhere visible.
Display your dream board in a prime spot. If you are restricted to where you can display it, consider your office, activity room, or staff area where it can inspire you and remind everyone of your goals.
How a dream board can help your care home.
Stay focused and motivated - Your dream board is a constant reminder of your aspirations and goals, keeping you inspired even on challenging days.
Reflect residents' voices - Including residents in the process ensures their preferences and dreams are at the heart of your activity planning.
Spark creativity - Whenever you feel stuck, your dream board is a treasure trove of ideas to revisit and build upon.
Build team collaboration - Invite other staff members to contribute. Their ideas and perspectives can lead to a more diverse range of activities.
A dream board is more than just a planning tool, it’s a source of inspiration, collaboration, and joy. By creating one for your care home activities, you’ll keep your ideas fresh, align your plans with residents’ needs, and stay motivated throughout the season - or the year if you use it to plan further ahead.
Have you created a dream board for your activities? I’d love to see or hear about it!
Share your experiences in the comments or in our private Facebook group.
Let’s dream big together!
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