Emily Dodds

Scrabble Board Game

Introduction:

Hello my name is Emily Dodds. I am a Therapeutic Recreation student at the University of Northern

Iowa. Let’s go around and introduce ourselves. (Board games members introduce themselves to the

group) Ok, today we are going to be playing a board game called Scrabble.

Instruction:

Inside the scrabble box you should have:

1) Game board

2) 100 Letter tiles

3) A colored letter container

4) 4 tile holders

Place 100 letter tiles in the colored letter container. To determine who goes first, have each player draw

one letter tile from the letter container. The person with the closet letter to A shall go first. Note, that

in Scrabble you should go over with your players what worlds may be used. The use of capitalized words

is not allowed, nor are abbreviations. Next, you have every player draw from the tile container. Each

player should draw seven tiles from the tile container. The player must then put there seven letter on

the tile holder in front of them. Then you are ready to begin the game!!

1. The first player uses at least two of other letter tiles to create a word. The word can be read

across or down. However, diagonal words are not allowed.

2. After your turn is done announce your score and then take a tile from the tile container.

Remember you must always have seven letter tiles on your letter holder.

3. If you have a blank letter tile you must tell the group what letter it stands for. That letter shall

remain the same though out the whole game.

4. While building words, other words should not run into each other. There should be a space in

between the words to show that they are individual words.

5. Players may challenge other players about the words that they have chosen. If this happens a

dictionary may be used. If a player is correct in their challenge it will result in loss of points.

6. The game ends when all possible plays have been made or you run out of tiles. At this point

players should calculate score and see how the winner is.

Adaptations

1) You can put brail on the letter tiles.

2) You can make the letter tiles bigger, so that they are easier to read.

3) You can play without keeping score.

4) You can also play as a group. Meaning, that the members of the group can help each other

create words, if someone cannot come up with a word.

5) Allow abbreviations and words that are capitalized. This would help individuals use up their tiles

if they were struggling to come up with different words.

6) Play in two teams. So each team mate can help the other team mate.

Sources:

Rules of the game: http://www.hasbro.com/scrabble/en_US/discover/rules.cfm

Board game bought: At walmart

Chutes and Ladders

The contents include:(1) Game board(1) Spinner with plastic arrow(4) Game pieces 

To start with, make sure the game board is positioned so that all players are able to access it with ease. Have each player select a game piece, if there are more players than game piece, divide the players into teams. 

Each square is numbered from 1-100, make sure each player (or team) starts near to square one. 

To begin the game, have each player/team spin the spinner. The person/team with the highest number goes first.

Before each turn, spin the spinner. Whatever number the arrow lands on, move the game piece square by square. So for example if a player or team spins a 2, move the game piece to square #2.

If a player or team's game piece lands on a square at the bottom of a ladder, the player/team moves up the ladder to the square at the top of the ladder. 

If a player/team lands on a square at the top of a chute, the player/team must move their game piece down the chute to the square at the bottom of the chute. 

There are two ways to win the game, a player or team may spin the number of exact squares it takes to get to square #100 which reads "Winner". Or a player/team can climb there by ending their move on ladder square #80.

Sorry

Rules

1.       To Start the Game: “Each player choose a color and places the 4 pieces of that color on the matching START circle. Shuffle the pack and place it face down on the space marked “PLACE PACK.” Select a player to play first.  The winner of one game goes first in the next. 

2.       Object of the Game: “The player who first moves his 4 pieces from his START to his HOME of the same color, according to the rules, wins. 

3.       First Turn:”The first player draws the top card from the pack and places it FACE UP onto the “DISCARD” space marked on the borad.  He enters 1 piece if the card so directs. Otherwise he forfeits his move. 

Adaptations: Don’t keep score for more then one game, players tend to get too competitive and it messes with their moods. We want everyone to have

Battleship

Objective of the Game:

Be the first to sink all 5 of your opponent’s ships

Contents:

10 Plastic Ships

4 Runners of White Pegs

2 Runners of Red Pegs

Boards

Prepare for Battle:

You and your opponent sit facing each other, with the lids of your game units raised so neither of you can see the other’s ocean grid.

Secretly place your fleet of 5 ships on your ocean grid. To place each ship, fit its 2 anchoring pegs into 2 holes on your ocean grid. Your opponents does the same.

Rules for placing Ships:

Place each ship in any horizontal or vertical position, but not diagonally. DO not place a ship so that any part of its overlaps letters, numbers, the edge of the grid

or another ship Do not change the position of any ship once the game has begun.

How to Battle:

Decide who will go first. You and your opponent will alternate turns, calling out one shot per turn to try and hit each other’s ships.

Call your Shot!

On your turn, pick a target hole on your upright target grid and call out its location by letter and number. Each target hole has a letter-number coordinate that corresponds with the same coordinate on our opponent’s ocean grid. To determine each coordinate, fins its corresponding letter on the left side of the target grid and its number on the top of the grid.

When you call a shot, your opponent must tell you whether your shot is a hit or a miss.

It’s a Hit!

If you call out a shot location that is occupied by a ship on your opponent’s ocean grid, your shot is a hit! Your opponent tells you which ship you have hit (Cruiser, Submarine, Etc). Record you hit by placing a red peg in the corresponding target hole on your target grid. Your opponent places a red peg in the corresponding hole of the ship you have hit on his or her own ocean grid.

It’s a Miss!

If you call out a shot location not occupied by a ship on your opponent’s ocean grid, it’s a miss. Recorded your miss by placing a white peg in the corresponding target hole on your target grid so you won’t call this shot again. It’s not necessary for player to record each other’s misses with white pegs on their ocean grid.

After a hit or a miss, your turn is over.

Adaptions

Make the board bigger (have larger Squares, display, numbers and letters, etc). Have the ships be made out something more easily turned over or exchanged. I

used Othello pieces, so that all you had to do is flip it from white to black. Could play with chalk boards that sit in their laps. Have different colored chalks

to mark ships, hits, and misses.

Austin Williams

TR

Connecting Dots

Materials

Colored markers, pens, pencils, all different colors per player

Sheet of paper

Great attitude

Instructions

Paper will have 100 dots 10 vertical and 10 horizontal. Each player takes turns connecting one dot to another making a line. Connecting lines may only be used left to right and up and down. Once box is complete player fills in the box with their initials and goes again. Whoever has the most boxes filled wins!

Adaptations

Hands on assistance, special rubber for different pencils. Good for social interaction and can improve fine motor skills. Helps with self-esteem and confidence boosting. Also helps individuals improve their writing.

Jordan Arp

Frisbee

Supplies:

A Frisbee A Frisbee skeet shooter Visual cues Frisbee with sound attachments

Directions:

Before I start the directions it is important to note that there are several games one can play with a Frisbee. I will talk about a couple games on here, but know that there are other games out there that one could utilize in their programs.

Ultimate Frisbee:

Divide players into two equal teams Determine the playing field (out of bounds and scoring areas) Have teams flip a coin or rock paper scissors for who starts with the Frisbee The teams go to opposite ends of the field and the losing team of the coin toss “kicks off”

(Throws the football) the length of the field to the team that won the coin toss The team passes the Frisbee to its teammates moving down the field in the process If the team catches the Frisbee past the previously determined scoring area, that team gets a

point If at any point the Frisbee is dropped, the opposing team takes over possession of the Frisbee at

the place where the Frisbee dropped The team that is not trying to score is allowed to play defense on the other teams players,

however, they have to keep at least a one foot radius away from the person with the Frisbee Possession of the Frisbee will also change if the team goes out of the predetermined boundaries

for the field The team with the most points at the end of a predetermined time will win, or you can play to a

certain number of goals (such as 10)

Disc Golf:

This game requires two or more people The goal of this game is to get the Frisbee in the “hole” (baskets) in the least amount of throws Each person will take turns throwing Frisbees from a predetermined starting point After the initial throw, the turns will be determined by whosever Frisbee is furthest away from

the basket The round will end when each person gets their Frisbee in the basket If there are multiple holes, you keep going like this until all baskets are complete (keeping score

the entire time) The person with the lowest score at the end of the game is the winner

Frisbee Name Game:

This game requires at least four participants, but the more the better Each participant will go around the circle and say their name

When this is done one person will be selected to start with the Frisbee This person will toss it to someone else in the circle, but has to say the name of the person

they are throwing it to If the person fails to say a name, or says the wrong name of the person they are throwing it

to they must sit out The game is over when there are only two to three participants left

Adaptations:

All three games have adaptations that can be made. I will talk about some general adaptations first and then go into each game specifically.

Some general adaptations that can be made for all three games is to have a Frisbee that makes sound when it moves so that people who are blind can also participate in these activities. For individual who have trouble throwing the Frisbee, there is a machine that is kind of like a skeet-shooter for Frisbees. The individual puts the Frisbee in and the machine will throw the Frisbee for them. (This adaptation might not be the best for the name game because of the close proximity of the players, but it is an effective adaptive tool for the other two games.) Also for each game there can be visual cues added to make the game easier for individuals with a variety of disabilities. For ultimate Frisbee, markers can be used to clearly indicate the out-of-bounds and scoring areas. In disc golf, visual cues can assist participants in understanding where they should aim their throws, and how close or far away they are from the baskets. For the name game, participants can wear name tags at first so they get to know the names of the other participants better, but can be taken away after a couple rounds to make the game more challenging.

For ultimate Frisbee, one big adaptation for people who want to play that use wheelchairs is, finding a surface that is suitable for them to move around on. Another thing you could do if people are having difficulty with the throwing motion of the Frisbee, is to play with a ball instead of a Frisbee. The ball will be easier to grip for a lot of people and will make it easier for more people to participate in the activity.

For disc golfing, it is also important to make sure the course is wheelchair accessible. Like ultimate Frisbee, if the Frisbee seems to be too difficult to throw, another item such as a ball can be substituted. To be done with a hole for disc golfing one has to get the Frisbee in the basket. This may be difficult for some individuals so changing the game by ending the hole when they hit the basket is a suitable adaptation for some people.

The name game might be considered too simple for some individuals. To make the game more challenging, instead of saying a person’s name, assign everyone an animal, color, number, etc. and play by calling out those as a substitute. This can also be adapted by using a ball instead of a Frisbee to help those who don’t have the fine motor skills to throw and catch a Frisbee. If the game is still too easy, put a time limit on the round and make it more like a game of hot potato, and when the time expires the person left holding the Frisbee is out.

Balloon Toss

There are two versions to balloon toss, you can do this with regular balloons, but the main adaptation I made to it, is to add water to regular balloons (not water balloons) and this helps the balloon not float completely away from the person and/or the group.  Also someone came up with the idea that this could be a good sensory object.  

Rules:  It's more of an exercise then a game, but we use it at the end of sittercise as a fun ending to a boring half hour of exercises that most of the residents don't like to do.  You take as many balloons as there are residents, and put one balloon into the circle at a time.  Don't have them throw the balloons at each other, have them slowly pass the balloons to the person next to them.  Then, keep adding the balloons in one at a time.  It was fun today to have some with water, and some without.  This was another kind of the same adaption, because by not having all filled with water, you have different levels of exercise, hard and easy.  The point of this type of balloon toss is that it gives the residents exercise as they have to move from side to side.  Many residents spend all day sitting in one position in their wheelchairs and/or chairs, so this provides them with range of motion.  The water in the balloons also helps with residents who are very shaky, because it helps them hold onto the balloon better, and makes it so the balloon can't slip away as easily.  

Miniature Golf

Materials Needed:

Putter Golf balls Putting green (instead of using a putting green you can get creative, for the day of the activity I

used small and large bowls and placed them against the wall) Tape to mark wear the player starts

How to Play:

The player starts where the starting mark is. They then proceed by hitting the ball with their putter. The object of the game is to get to the hole in as few strokes as possible. Once all the players make the ball into the hole they are done with that round. The player with the least

amount of strokes (or hits to the ball) wins.

Adaptations:

Adjusting the size of the cup for the ball to go into Adjusting the distance from the start point to the cup Connecting a tube onto the wheelchair for the ball to go through and drop onto the ground

Austin Williams

Knock Out

Supplies:

2 soft bouncy ballsHula Hoop Directions:

1.      First 2 players will have a ball

2.      First player will shoot ball into hula hoop and once individual has then next person can

3.      Once player makes ball into hoop then player runs and gives the ball to the next person in line

4.      If player behind individual makes it before the first shooter does then that person is out

5.      Last person standing wins the game 

 AdaptationsNormally it’s a basketball with basketball hoop. To make it easier had smaller soft balls. Hula hoop is also bigger with a sensor so it’s easier for individuals to see. Also person holding hula hoop will not be 10 feet tall like a regular basketball hoop. People in wheel chairs can also have an easier time with this. Staff assistance can be needed if individual has hard time seeing as well as physical demonstration for those who are hard of hearing. Positive attitude and encouragement is also recommended  Staff could also have another hula hoop for those who are eliminated to they are more likely to stay on task. 

Craft Pencil and Pen Holders

Materials needed:

Tin cans Craft paper StickersScissorsModge podge Brushes

Instructions:First you need to pick the paper you want to decorate your pencil holder. Then take the tin can and lay it flat on the craft paper and measure out how long and wide you need to cut your craft paper in order to have the craft paper cover the whole tin can. Next you cut out the desired size. Then you use the modge podge on the can and on the paper. Wrap the craft paper around the can and smooth out the paper. Next you can apply stickers or other decorative items to your pencil or pen holder. Let dry for an hr. And you have a lovely pencil or pen holder.

Adaptions: You can use bigger brushes. Or make the brushes have a thicker handle. For example, you could wrap thick foam around the brush handle. You could also use hand over hand. Depending on your population you are working with you could precut the craft paper and have the individuals glue on the paper to the tin can. For individuals with intellectual disabilities, you could set this craft up in stages. One table could be for selecting your paper. The next table could be for cutting your paper and another for gluing. You could also have each participant work with an assistant. To help prompt them to know what is coming next and to help keep them on track with the craft.

Populations: Individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’sIndividuals with intellectual disabilitiesTBICancer patience

Reference:I received my main idea off of Pinterest. Materials retrieved from:Michael, hobby lobby, Walmart

Special Candy Game

Supplies:

Enough Candy so that each person gets 10 pieces Sheets of paper (potentially) Pens (potentially)

Directions:

Have participants sit in a circle Everyone goes around and introduces themselves Once that is done explain that no one is to eat the candy until after the activity is done Hand out the candy making sure each person gets 10 pieces Go around the circle and have each person name one thing in their life that they think is special

or some talent or ability they possess As each person says what they want to say, the other members of the group throw the person a

piece of candy if that is not something in common that they share with the individual

Example: I say “I can play piano.” If you can also play the piano you do nothing, but if you do not play the piano you throw me a piece of candy.

Try to encourage the members of the group who are having a hard time thinking of something, as there should hopefully always be something to find in a person’s life that is good

The game should end at a point where all members have the same amount of candy again or at least where everyone has some so no one feels left out

Adaptations:

This is a great activity because it allows the participants to recognize what is special and unique about them, while also recognizing characteristics they have in common with the others in their group. I would use this activity with people who are depressed, bipolar, or have any other mental or personality disorder. Some adaptations that you can use for facilitating their own “Special Candy Game” group. Candy is a food group that some populations won’t be able to work with (example: diabetics). For these types of groups we can substitute foods like apple slices, carrots, raisons, or some other healthy foods. Another adaptation that can be made is if the group is too big or participants don’t have the ability to toss or pass the candy to the other side of the table, name tags can be made for each player at the beginning of the game. Have the participants write their name on enough pieces of paper for each participant to have one. If participants need help writing you can use hand over hand, or if you know the names of the participants ahead of time it would be a good idea to have the name tags premade. Once the nametags are made hand them out to each participant and if they do not have something in common with the speaker they can just put a piece of candy on the name of the speaker instead of passing it around the table. For nonverbal participants they can write down their answers, or use communicative devices to assist in them taking part in the activity.

I am Boards Activity

Supplies Needed:

Construction Paper (printer paper works just fine as well)

Colored Pencils

Crayons

POSITIVE THINKING!

Directions:

● Have each person pick a piece of construction paper, or the paper provided

● Instruct each individual to draw themselves on the piece of paper and fill the whole page with positive thoughts about themselves, it can be things they are good at, qualities about themselves that they like, etc.

● After each person is done with their board, have the person share to the group the positive things they wrote about themselves and why they chose them

Adaptations:

● Hand over hand

● Depending on the ability of the individual you could hand out magazines and have them cut out words instead of writing them

● Instead of the individual writing positive things they think of themselves, you could have other members of the participating group write positive things about each person

Reference:

http://bravegirlsclub.com/archives/4566

Words about me

Heidi Flowers

Materials needed

Puffy paint or markers

Scrapbook paper

List of describing words (optional)

Directions

First let everyone pick out the scrapbook paper they like best

Second have them write either their first name, last name, or both on the left side of the

scrapbook paper going down with the puffy paint or markers

Third have them write words off of their name that describes them with the puffy paint or

markers

o Example:

Helpful

Enthusiastic

Interesting

Dandy

Idyllic

After everyone is done you can have them go around and say what they put and why

Adaptations

Have a list of descriptive words

Hand over hand

Use marker instead of puffy paint

Print off descriptive words so they don’t have to write them, they just have to pick the ones that

describe them and glue them on the paper

Reference

Michaels

Wal-Mart

Brianna Gute

Me Tree

Supplies:

- Construction paper, or white but then bring markers or crayons to color the paper.

- Scissors

- Sharpies

- Glue or tape

Process:

This activity is for people who have low self-esteem, and I think it would be great for kids, but it could

defiantly work for all ages. First the participants will either draw a tree that has no leaves or you can

print on out for them to use, then they can color it. Next have them draw leaves or again you can print

them out as well. Cut out the leaves, and have the participants write positive words that describe them.

You can also have other people in the group write about the person. Then have the participants either

tape or glue the leaves to the tree. If you don’t want to do trees you can also do flowers and use the

petals as the leaves, or if it is around Christmas you can use a Christmas tree and have them write on

ornaments.

Adaptations:

- Use construction paper if the participants are unable to use markers or crayons well.

- If an individual tree is too small for the participants to grab, you can make a group tree and

make it much larger, and have everyone put their leaves on it.

- Have a list of words for people to use or get ideas from.

- Hand-over-hand

Source: http://www.kidsplayandcreate.com/me-tree-self-esteem-character-building-arts-and-crafts-

project-for-kids/

Carlie Dever

Sensory Lids

Supplies:

Lids to canisters- same size (can be plastic, metal, etc)

Blindfold

Cotton Balls

Bubble Wrap

Sandpaper

Directions:

1. Apply the various tactile objects to the lids of the canisters.

2. Have a person either close their eyes or blindfold them.

3. Have them feel the lids, then find the matching lids.

Adaptations

Different tactile objects if certain individuals do not like certain feelings.

Make the lids bigger for those who have a hard time gripping objects.

Source: Alexis Thorne’s presentation at the Midwest Conference.

Sudoku

Supplies:

- Sudoku book

- Pens or pencils

Instructions:

Below is a picture of a blank Sudoku grid. The object of the game is to use the numbers 1-9, and

you have to have 1-9 in each row (red), and column (yellow) and square (green). Therefore you cannot

have two of any number in the same column, row or 3 by 3 square. The bottom right picture shows a

solved puzzle. This is a great activity to do with seniors.

Adaptations:

- There are different levels of difficulty, so depending on whom you are working with you can

make it harder or easier.

- Also you could have someone help the client if they get stuck.

Reference: http://www.sudoku.ws/rules.htm

Emily Winter

Mental Stimulation Activities:

Bead Sorting:

Materials Needed:

- Cupcake Tin

- Pony Beads, buttons, marbles, etc. (anything colorful can be sorted)

-Gloves (if wanted to help prevent spread of germs), also these will help patients/residents hold

onto materials that you are sorting better)

-Paper plates (the kind with rounded edges works best so that the beads aren't rolling all over.

Age group (Can do this with all ages, but when doing this with residents let them know that you

need the beads sorted for a craft activity the next day) most residents like to know they are being

helpful in some way.

1. Place a different color of bead in each of the holes of the cupcake tin until the tin is full (you don't

need to use all colors of beads, if want ahead of time you can take some colors out beforehand so that

they aren't as confused),

2. Work with them to help sort the rest of the beads out until they are bored with the activity,

sometimes the residents really enjoy this, it depends on the day.

3. This is a good fine motor activity, a good conversational starter, and a good work therapy program

idea.

**You can place a pile of beads on a paper plate for them so that they don't roll all over the table before

they are sorted.

Jillian Brooks

Mental Stimulation Activities:

Sensory Bags:

Materials Needed:

Zip block bags

Beads

Pom Poms

Crayons

Glitter

Sugar

Pencil

Note cards

Stopwatch

How to Make:

Take an empty zip block bag and fill the bag with material, for this activity I used sugar,

beads, pom poms, crayons, glitter, and paper stars. I took two scoops of sugar (enough to

fill up the bag) and then placed the material in the bag and shook up to mix the material

together.

Directions:

I gave each member a sensory bag and gave him or her a note card with the listed

material that they needed to find in the bag. I gave them to the total amount of material that was in the

bag (30 objects) to make it easier for them. I then gave them five minutes to find and write down the

correct amount of material that were in the sensory bag.

**Adaptations:

Larger zip block bags

Substitute sugar for rice (easier to find the objects in rice)

Use less sugar or rice to make it easier to find the objects

Larger objects in the bags

Using noodles instead of soft objects for those who have visual impairments

Mental Stimulation

Music and Drawing/ writing

Rules:

Have each participant receive 4 sheets of paper and different kinds of markers and crayons. Then play 4 different songs. Have them draw or write to the music. Be sure to change the music up from time to time. You can use calming music or popular every day music. After the music and drawing is done ask the participants to share what they drew and why they drew it.

Material needed:

Paper

Markers

Crayons

Music

Adaption’s:

Bigger markers

Hand over hand

Redirection

Length of activity

Music selection (depending on the group u are working with)

Populations:

Elder population

Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Individuals with TBI

Source: Pinterest. Com

Draw and Act

Supplies

-Paper

-Markers

Directions

One person will whisper to another ones ear something. Example can be animal, game, person, machine, anything that is possible to act out. The next person will draw that item of what that person whispered in their ear. That person will then hand that piece of paper to the person who will then act it out. The audience will then try to guess what that person is and whoever guess receives a point. Then people will rotate. Audience goes to whisperer, whisperer goes to drawer, drawer goes to actor, and actor goes to audience. Game is done whenever certain person gets to either a certain number of points or everyone in group has been everything.

Adaptations

Certain people can only do feel confident with certain things so you don’t have to switch. Physical assistance can be needed or guidance to help individuals. Can be timed for those who want a challenge. If person can’t draw have them write the word down. Person can’t act have someone assist them as well. Have fun and use others strengths to help with others weaknesses.

Source: Austin Williams

Emily Dodds

Body movements Creative Ball Toss

Materials needed:

1. Bouncy Ball or Beach Ball 2. Permanent marker ( to write on bouncy Ball)

Adaption’s:

1. Bigger sized ball / beach ball 2. Different types of exercise depending on populations 3. Use a ball that has lights or bright colors to help with individuals who have low vision 4. Use a ball that makes noise or beeps for individuals that are blind. 5. Use different textures for sensory on the bouncy ball.

Rules:

Have the participants get in a big circle. Then have them through the ball to the first person. Ware there finger lands on or closest to that is the exercise that they will lead. After they are done have the individual that lead the exercise through the ball to another person. Have this continue throughout the game until everyone has had the ball passed to them.

Sources:

Walmart