15 minAdultsOlderOne-to-one
RVer session: a familiar place
With RVer headsets, visit a familiar place or a local festival, with the team beside the person, talking.
MemorySensoryCalm
How to do it
Materials
- RVer headset, with the scenario library
- A stable chair, or a bed with the head raised
Steps
- Choose the place from the person's own story.
- Explain and put the headset on slowly; always stay beside them.
- Talk during and after: what they saw, what it reminded them of.
Adaptations
- Short sessions; stop at the first sign of discomfort.
- With visual hallucinations, the clinical team decides and extra caution applies.
Discover RVer: 50 360° video titles, interactive activities and a platform for the team.
15 min10–17AdultsOlderOne-to-one
RVer session: a break
A beach, a forest or a concert, for a moment of distraction and comfort, with the team beside the person.
CalmSensory
How to do it
Materials
- RVer headset, with the scenario library
- A stable chair, or a bed with the head raised
Steps
- Let the person choose the scenario from two or three options.
- Stay beside them and keep talking, if they want to.
- Take the headset off slowly and ask how they feel.
Adaptations
- Children from age 10, with a familiar adult present.
- It is a complement: it does not replace care or medication.
Discover RVer: 50 360° video titles, interactive activities and a platform for the team.
20 minOlderOne-to-oneGroup
Memory box
A box of objects from an era or a trade (tools, fabrics, photographs) that the person explores and talks about.
MemorySensoryLanguage
How to do it
Materials
- A box
- Old objects (sewing, farming, school, kitchen)
- Photographs from the period
Steps
- Choose a theme linked to the group's or the person's story.
- Show one object at a time and ask what it is, what it was for, who used it.
- Let the conversation go wherever the person takes it.
Adaptations
- With cognitive impairment: fewer objects, more time with each, value touch.
- Bedbound: light, safe objects, within reach of the hands.
30 min10–17AdultsOlderOne-to-oneGroup
The music of my life
Listening to and singing the songs that marked each participant, from youth to today.
MemorySocialCalm
How to do it
Materials
- Speaker or headphones
- Playlist chosen by the participants
- Lyrics printed in large type
Steps
- Ask each person for one or two songs that matter to them.
- Before each song, ask why they chose it.
- Sing along, without forcing anyone.
Adaptations
- Older people: music from ages 15 to 25 tends to stay longest in memory.
- Children and teenagers: let them be the DJ and introduce their song.
45 min10–17AdultsOlderGroup
Picture bingo
Bingo with photographs instead of numbers: landmarks, objects, animals, well-known people.
SocialMemoryLanguage
How to do it
Materials
- Cards with 9 pictures each
- Loose pictures to draw
- Beans or buttons as markers
Steps
- Hand out one card per person.
- Draw a picture and describe it before showing it.
- Whoever completes a line calls «bingo» and tells a story about one of the pictures.
Adaptations
- Mild impairment: 4 pictures per card instead of 9.
- Children: cartoons, animals, food.
20 minAdultsOlderGroupOne-to-one
Seated exercise
A sequence of gentle movements done in the chair, to music.
MovementSocial
How to do it
Materials
- Stable chairs without wheels, or wheelchairs with brakes on
- Music with a calm rhythm
Steps
- Start with breathing and the shoulders.
- Arms, hands, legs and feet, 8 repetitions each.
- Finish with slow stretches.
Adaptations
- The facilitator demonstrates and participants copy: fewer spoken instructions.
- Check each person's limitations with nursing or physiotherapy.
40 min10–17AdultsOlderOne-to-oneGroup
Pot gardening
Planting herbs or flowers in pots, at a table.
SensoryMovement
How to do it
Materials
- Pots
- Soil
- Seeds or small plants (parsley, mint, rosemary)
- A small watering can
- Plastic tablecloth
Steps
- Smell and touch the plants before planting.
- Fill the pot, make the hole, plant and water.
- Agree who waters on each day of the week.
Adaptations
- One task at a time, done side by side.
- Watch for anyone who might put soil or plants in their mouth.
30 minAdultsOlderGroupOne-to-one
Reading the newspaper
Reading and discussing today's news, or news from the participants' home towns.
LanguageSocial
How to do it
Materials
- Today's paper or a regional paper
- Magnifying glass
Steps
- Pick 3 short, light stories.
- Read aloud and ask for opinions.
- Link the story to the past: «What was this like in your day?»
Adaptations
- Avoid news that might cause worry.
- Bedbound: read at the bedside.
15 minAdultsOlderOne-to-one
Hand massage
A gentle hand massage with cream, with quiet conversation or music.
SensoryCalm
How to do it
Materials
- Moisturising cream without a strong scent
- Small towel
- Calm music (optional)
Steps
- Ask permission and explain what you will do.
- Massage the palm, fingers and back of the hand, slowly.
- Finish by wrapping the hand in the towel.
Adaptations
- Useful when conversation is already difficult.
- Stop if there is discomfort, and check with nursing for wounds or fragile skin.
45 min10–17AdultsOlderGroup
No-oven cooking
Making a simple recipe: fruit salad, fruit skewers, sandwiches, decorated biscuits.
SensorySocialMovement
How to do it
Materials
- Ingredients
- Safe utensils (no sharp knives)
- Aprons
Steps
- Ask who has made this recipe before, and how.
- Give each person a small task.
- Taste it together at the end.
Adaptations
- Check diets, allergies and textures with the team.
- Repetitive, simple tasks (stirring, decorating) for those who need more support.
30 min10–17AdultsOlderOne-to-oneGroup
Sensory walk
A short walk outside, looking, smelling and listening.
SensoryMovementCalm
How to do it
Materials
- Hats or coats depending on the weather
- Water
Steps
- Short stops to smell a plant, hear the birds, feel the sun.
- Name what you see and ask what the person notices.
- Head back before anyone tires.
Adaptations
- Wheelchair: a route without steps, brakes checked.
- Children: turn it into a treasure hunt (something red, something soft, a sound).
30 min10–17AdultsOlderOne-to-one
The book of my life
Over several sessions, building an album of photographs, drawings and the person's own words.
MemoryLanguageCreativity
How to do it
Materials
- Notebook or album
- Photographs brought by the family
- Glue, pens, stickers
Steps
- Ask the family for photographs from different stages of life.
- In each session, work on one stage or theme.
- Write the person's own sentences under each picture.
Adaptations
- Children and teenagers: the book can be about tastes, dreams, important people.
- Palliative care: many families keep this book as a memento.
20 min10–17AdultsOlderGroupOne-to-one
Word games
Finishing proverbs, naming words in a category, or riddles.
LanguageMemorySocial
How to do it
Materials
- A list of proverbs or riddles
- Categories written on cards
Steps
- Start with the easiest.
- Rotate categories: fruit, names, towns starting with M.
- Celebrate every answer.
Adaptations
- Children: riddles and «stop» instead of proverbs.
- Mild impairment: give clues and choose very well-known sayings.
20 minOlderOne-to-oneGroup
Folding and sorting
A useful, familiar task: folding towels, pairing socks, sorting buttons by colour.
MovementCalm
How to do it
Materials
- Clean towels
- Socks
- Buttons and boxes
Steps
- Present the task as real help.
- Do it once beside the person.
- Thank them for the help at the end.
Adaptations
- When someone is agitated, repetitive hand tasks with a purpose often help them settle.
20 min10–17AdultsOlderGroupOne-to-one
Story time
Reading aloud a short story, a local legend or a poem.
LanguageCalm
How to do it
Materials
- A book of stories, legends or poems
- For children: a picture book
Steps
- Read slowly and with expression.
- Pause to ask what they think will happen.
- At the end, ask which part they liked most.
Adaptations
- Short, rhyming texts work better when attention is harder.
30 min10–17AdultsOlderGroup
Bottle bowling
Knocking down plastic bottles with a soft ball.
MovementSocial
How to do it
Materials
- 6 to 10 plastic bottles with a little water
- Soft ball
Steps
- Set up the bottles 2 or 3 metres away.
- Each person gets 2 throws.
- Count the points aloud, without heavy competition.
Adaptations
- Wheelchair: bring the bottles closer.
40 min10–17AdultsOlderGroupOne-to-one
Free painting
Painting without a model, for the pleasure of colour.
SensoryCalmCreativity
How to do it
Materials
- Thick paper
- Watercolours, poster paints or crayons
- Thick brushes
Steps
- Show how the colour spreads.
- Suggest a simple theme (the sea, a place they like) or none.
- Display the work with each artist's name, if the person wants.
Adaptations
- Bedbound: a clipboard and coloured pencils instead of paint.
30 minAdultsOlderGroup
Talking trades
Each participant talks about the work they did, or would have liked to do.
MemorySocialLanguage
How to do it
Materials
- One or two objects linked to each trade (optional)
Steps
- Choose one trade per session, or let each person talk about their own.
- Ask concrete details: what time they started, what they used.
- Link the stories between participants.
Adaptations
- Here every person is the expert: a good way to give value back to someone who feels they are «no use any more».
15 min10–17AdultsOlderGroupOne-to-one
Breathing and guided relaxation
Slow breathing and a calm description of a place, eyes closed or open.
Calm
How to do it
Materials
- A quiet space
- Calm music (optional)
Steps
- Ask people to sit or lie comfortably.
- Guide 3 to 5 slow breaths, breathing out more slowly than in.
- Slowly describe a peaceful place: a beach, a field.
Adaptations
- Children: «blow up a balloon in your tummy» and let it out slowly.
- Short sentences and a close voice for those who find it harder.
15 min10–17AdultsOne-to-oneGroup
5 things I see
A present-moment attention exercise: naming what you see, hear and feel around you.
CalmSensory
How to do it
Materials
Steps
- Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear.
- Then 2 smells and 1 taste, or 1 good thing about the day.
- No rush and no right answers.
Adaptations
- Useful before a procedure or during a long wait.
- It is not a treatment: it is a pause, and the team decides when it makes sense.
30 min10–17AdultsOlderOne-to-oneGroup
Modelling clay
Free modelling, or making a simple piece: an animal, an object, a bowl.
SensoryMovementCreativity
How to do it
Materials
- Plasticine or modelling clay
- Tray
- Wipes
Steps
- Warm the clay in the hands.
- Suggest a theme or leave it free.
- Show and name the piece at the end.
Adaptations
- Rehabilitation: good for hand strength and dexterity, as advised by the therapist.
- Watch for anyone who might put the clay in their mouth.
20 min10–17AdultsGroup
Chain stories
The group invents a story: each person adds a sentence.
LanguageSocialCreativity
How to do it
Materials
- Picture cards for ideas (optional)
- Paper to write the story down
Steps
- The facilitator starts: «Once upon a time…».
- Each person adds a sentence.
- At the end, read the whole story aloud.
Adaptations
- Younger children: one picture per turn helps with ideas.
45 min10–17AdultsOlderGroupOne-to-one
Table games
Cards, dominoes, draughts, board games or memory games.
SocialMemory
How to do it
Materials
- Cards, dominoes, draughts or a memory game
- Large pieces, if sight is limited
Steps
- Choose a game the participants already know.
- Explain the rules with an example.
- Rotate partners to mix the group.
Adaptations
- Bedbound: a memory game on the bedside table.
30 min10–17AdultsOne-to-oneGroup
Origami and paper folding
Making simple paper figures: a boat, a plane, a hat, a flower.
MovementCreativityCalm
How to do it
Materials
- Coloured paper
- Printed step-by-step instructions
Steps
- Start with the simplest figure.
- Make each fold at the same time as the participants.
- Let them personalise it with drawings.
Adaptations
- Rehabilitation: good for fine motor skills, at each person's pace.
30 min10–17AdultsOlderOne-to-one
A letter to someone
Writing, or dictating, a letter or message to someone important.
LanguageMemoryCalm
How to do it
Materials
- Writing paper, postcards or a phone to record
Steps
- Ask who they would like to say something to.
- Write down what the person dictates, in their own words.
- Agree whether the letter is sent, kept, or delivered later.
Adaptations
- Palliative care: respect the pace and the silences; not every letter is meant to be sent.
20 min10–17AdultsOlderOne-to-oneGroup
Scents that tell stories
Guessing scents in closed jars: cinnamon, coffee, lemon, rosemary, soap.
SensoryMemory
How to do it
Materials
- Opaque jars with pierced lids
- Cinnamon, coffee, lemon peel, rosemary, bar soap
Steps
- Pass one jar at a time.
- Ask what it is and where they remember that smell from.
- Reveal it and talk.
Adaptations
- Show the object at the same time for those who find it harder: recognising it is enough.
15 min10–17AdultsOlderOne-to-one
Video call with family
Helping the person talk to a relative or friend, preparing the moment.
SocialCalm
How to do it
Materials
- Phone or tablet
- A time agreed with the family
Steps
- Agree the time with the family.
- Remind the person who will call, with a photograph.
- Stay close to help if the connection or the conversation falters.
Adaptations
- Short calls with a familiar face work better than long conversations.
20 min10–17AdultsOlderGroup
Seated dance
Moving arms, hands and feet to the music, in a circle.
MovementSocial
How to do it
Materials
- Music (traditional for older people, current for younger ones)
- Coloured scarves (optional)
Steps
- Start with a slow song.
- Suggest simple movements for each song.
- Let anyone who wants propose a step.
Adaptations
- Scarves help those who don't like «dancing»: holding and waving is easier.
