How to Get Your 12 Months Activity Planning Done

Planning activities in the best of times is hard. Planning activities and the midst of so much upheaval and unknowns regarding staffing is atrocious. This article will attempt to help you work through planning your activities for the next 12 months or so. We can't guarantee that you'll have everything figured out by the end, but we can confidently say that you'll have a good start and possibly an outline for your activity planning.

Below you'll find video resources, written resources, and a free database to help you on your way. Things to have before you get started

• An idea of who is available on a weekly basis
• Knowing the skills and abilities of your participants
• Understanding the limitations of your facility or specific situation

Keeping the above three things in mind will help you develop and plan programs and activities that can be adapted on the fly and won't break the energy bank of you or your staff.

Starting with the end in mind

Before beginning any project, We always recommend starting with the end in mind. You can hear more on that from Gael here. For the purposes of this article and getting you to an outline, think about what you want your residents to experience this year and how you want your staff to feel when they are executing and hosting the program.

Knowing those two things will help you design programs and activities that will net that end result.

If you aren't sure what either of these things looks like go back to what you've done before and talk to your staff members. They should have an idea of how participants are feeling and how previous activities have been received. Surveying your staff to ask how they feel when they are hosting program will also help you get a better understanding of what works and what doesn't if you don't already know.

Once you have a clear picture and answers you can move forward with programming that works.

Starting Where You Are with your Activity Planning

If it isn't possible to have these conversations with your staff or you are just getting started with planned programs and activities and don't have a baseline, don't worry. Just start where you are right now. The first few months will be throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. For you, it will be important to have a system in place to measure success and get a better understanding of what works and what doesn't. You can book a call with Gael here to get a handle on that if you need help.

Story Planning Tips and the 3 Powerful P's of Storytelling

This video is specific to storytelling projects and how to plan storytelling activities. You'll find information on planning, flying by the state of your pants, and everything in between. It is a great starter for anyone who hasn't integrated storytelling into their activities yet or has tried and it hasn't quite worked out.

Creating your 12-month activities outline

You can approach this from a variety of directions for the purpose of this article we'll stick with seasonal options and traditions.

Starting with seasons and established holidays in your geographic region makes It easier to go by calendar months. Using known local customs and holidays also means that it can help with memory recollection and is easier for participants to connect with.

How to Use our Free Database for Your Storytelling Projects or Activities

There are over 100 pages on the Legacy Recorder website that is free for you to peruse, click through, and utilize in your planning, programming, and activities. We also include links to outside resources that can help fill in additional pieces and provide a deeper experience for your participants.

How to Plan an Activity with Storytelling in 3 Simple Steps

The beginning is always a great place to start. This video will walk you through how to plan an activity with storytelling included in three simple steps. You may have heard some of this before but we encourage you to watch or listen and implement.

What Next

If you're feeling a little overwhelmed by the prospect of all that needs to be done in your business, take a deep breath. You don't have to do it alone! We can help you figure out how best to get started and what's next for your busy life. Let us know if you want more information on booking a call with Gael here so we can chat about making sure your activities are planned efficiently from start to finish. In the meantime, enjoy these resources as an introduction into our services, or check out some inspiration from our blog posts below.