Physical
Items required: Clean wash cloths of different colors/small plastic baskets, large enough to hold several folded cloths.
Gather participants around the table. Greet each one by name, eye contact, and a gentle hand touch.
Display the stack of unfolded washcloths and explain that they need to be folded. Provide a small basket for each participant as a receptacle for the folded laundry.
Give each individual several washcloths. Use one of your own to demonstrate how you want the cloths twice folded and then placed in the basket. Assist each participant by laying out one wash cloth flat in front of them. Demonstrate again, if necessary, how you want them folded. Provide hands-on assistance to participants who are not responding. Remember, you are just assisting, not doing.
Cheer for success no matter how small. As a participant completes the task, provide more cloths until the stack is gone. (If you have only a few wash cloths, remove folded ones from baskets and return them to a basket on the floor. Then as the stack on the table diminishes, you can add to it from the floor stock, making it appear as though you simply have more to do.
Cognitive
Items required: folded wash cloths in a variety of colors, folded and placed in a basket on the floor near your chair.
Gather participants around the table and greet with name, eye, and touch.
Place one folded wash cloth of each color on a piece of tag board. Hold up each one as you state its color. Be sure everyone has seen it before laying it back down and choosing another. Once everyone has seen and heard the name of each color, give each participant a wash cloth. Move the tag board with the folded cloths toward the first participant and ask that person to lay their wash cloth on its mate. Move to the second participant and so on until each person has placed one cloth on its mate. Provide them with more wash cloths and repeat the activity.
Ask what color wash cloth they have. Provide clues if necessary. When all the cloths have been stacked on the tag board, you can end the activity by asking participants to place specific colored cloths in the storage container.
