Food boxes or Plastic Containers
Physical
Items required: small empty food boxes or plastic containers with lids or tops. You will need to start collecting early or place a note in the break room requesting those items from other staff. (The boxes must have a removable top; instant coffee or tea, bouillon cubes, bread crumbs, water additives, margarine tubs, velveeta, corn meal, corn starch, corn meal, Quick, Crystal Lite, coffee mate, etc…)
Gather participants around the table. Greet each one by name, look them in the eye and touch their hand.
Place your box of containers on the floor where it is less distracting. Bring one container and its removed lid to the top of the table. Demonstrate and briefly explain that the lid needs to go on the container.
Bring up a second container with removed lid and give it to one of the participants. Explain that he/she must put the lid on the container. Then proceed to give an unlidded container to each player along with the lid and the direction to place the lid on the container. Assist participants as needed to ensure success. When a player is successful in lidding the container, recognize the accomplishment and give them a new container. Continue in this manner until everyone has been successful and the containers have all been lidded.
If you have an individual who finds this task too easy, give him/her two or more containers at the same time.
Cognitive
Items required: empty dry food containers. Any cardboard or plastic container with work as long as they are common items easily recognizable and a reusable shopping bag.
Gather participants around the table and greet everyone by name, eye, and touch.
Provide each participant with two or more grocery items. Then present the shopping bag and explain that you need to fill it with certain items. Make the bag accessible to the first participant and direct him/her to place one of the two items in the bag, be succinct and specific. “Nora, put the coffee in the bag”. If necessary, give cues and/or hands-on assist to ensure success. Then move to the second participant. When all have responded once, provide them each with another item so they will again have two items and perform the task again. The task can be performed two, three, or four times depending on participation and time.
If there is an individual who finds this task easy, provide that person with three or four items at a time.
To close the activity, bring out one item at a time. Ask participants what it is you are holding. Once it is correctly labeled, put it away in your carry box. When all items are stowed, the activity is finished.