Hula Hoop Dancer - Lisa Lottie (song: Gotam Project - Diferente)

Paper tubes are used for more than just being eaten by gerbils?

Those are paper tubes?

;]

 Need a chair for your doll?

 So pretty..

 This is INSANE!!! (well insanely awesome!)

 Can you name them all?

 Need some Easter fun?

Now that's one cheap trash can

This is pretty awesome! I'm always and constantly surprised to see what people are able to find to create amazing, fun, and useful pieces of art. I love recycling or reusing and this is a perfect way to do so! I love this type of craft because there is nothing harmful or toxic when using and working with paper tubes (unless you get a paper cut!). This is one craft activity that I believe almost all populations can use for self expression, fine motor exercise, laughter therapy, some just plain recreation time, or so many others!

I would love to try this too!!

~Sarah

Toothpicks?

WOW!

WOW! That was my first thought. Who would have thought to create such masterpieces with a silly little thing like a toothpick? This gave me the idea of many different projects that a TRS would be able to do for a creative activity or challenge. It could be done individually or as a group. The activity could be to just be creative like the star and the little cities, or it could be something useful or that has a purpose like the lampshade or boat.
Safety precautions would have to be thought of though when working with small children, those with delicate skin, people within a corrections unit, some people who have cognitive disabilities, and some youth-at-risk. One adaptation could be to use wooden doles, cut the sharp ends off the toothpicks, or maybe even use pretzels instead!

To get some populations more involved or interested, one could use colored toothpicks too!

Just some fun crafty ideas!

~Sarah

Challenge, Drama, and Relaxation

Happy April 21th!

Last class period we had the second half of the group presentations.

Group One: Challenge!

Getting out of our comfort zone?... well we certainly did! The first "ice breaker/name game" was to go up to another person introduce oneself and then go as close as possible without touching to the other persons nose: nose to nose. HAHA! Then we played the partner game of Birdie in a Cradle: running to partner and jumping into arms. After these ice breakers, we were separated into four different groups and given a hullahoop. Our goal was to move the hullahoop all the way around the circle while holding hands and not letting go. My group went pretty fast! Then we were asked to do the same thing but with our eyes closed. We were then grouped together with another group and went through the same process. Finally all groups came together, but the leaders went around and gave random people different jobs or disabilities such encouragement of the group or only being able to stand on one leg. This was a fun activity!

The next activity was one that I had never done before. We were once again separated into smaller groups and each person was given a toothpick. Then we were asked to stand on one side of the room while a soda bottle was placed on the other end. As relay, we had to individually run across the room to the bottle and try to drop our toothpick in without bending our bodies and just standing over the top of the bottle. Once one person got his or her toothpick in, he or she would run back and tag the next person to go!

 

After that, one person from each group was chosen to represent their group and try to get two toothpicks into the bottle before all the other groups.

The last challenge activity was an obstacle course!! AND with a partner one person was blindfolded. The course was pretty long and each partner had to go through the entire course while blindfolded. There were steps to climb, blocks to walk over, bars to walk across, and bars to duck under.

The partners who were able to move the fastest through the course were given a little prize of a candy ring.

• These challenges  have been used for many populations and are effective for almost any group of people as long as adaptions and modifications are made. Any group of people who have a goal of team work, communication, problem solving together, or who just need to get out of their comfort zones will benefit from Challenge activities!

Group Two: DRAMA

Everyone (well most people) have seen the Disney movie The Little Mermaid. Ariel's stash of human "artifacts" is fun, but the best part is the different names and uses given to each everyday utensil. For the first activity, each group was given an object that is well known to all what the purpose is, but we pretended to have found the object from some ancient culture and design a use for the object that the people of that time would had have for it. This was great to see people's creativity. We were also asked to perform the information in a commercial design.

Its a dinglehopper!

• For this activity, we talked about when using it for children to maybe get items that the kids wouldn't actually know what it was. This way the use wouldn't be able to stifle their little imaginations.

 The last activity that the group had time for was a view into wheelchair dancing. I was very excited about this, and my group/ partner tried to swing dance together! :} It was really fun!!

• This dancing opportunity gave the class a real view into the lives and movements of a person who moves around in a wheelchair. It was good to understand the barriers of movement when navigating a room full of chairs and people.

Group Three: relaxation

In one of my recent blogs, I talked about relaxation and the different modes of relaxing like laughter yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, and meditation. Group three took the class through progressive relaxation, breathing exercises, and guided imagery. The progressive relaxation was a great way to begin relaxing and would work well for people who difficulty paying attention or staying focused. We then moved onto a breathing exercise called the 4-4-4-4. I personally didn't like this exercise as well as other breathing exercises that I have done, but it worked by breathing in for four counts, holding for four counts, breathing out for four counts, and then holding again for another four counts. After this the group lead us into guided imagery through the C.A.R.E. channel: (http://www.healinghealth.com/hhs/site/page/care_with_guided_imagery)

Although the sound was little too loud, most people were able to relax into a deep state of almost sleep. I enjoyed creating the pictures in my mind instead of looking at the screen, but the pictures were very beautiful.

• Relaxation training and activities are a great modality for every population!! No matter who you are or where you are in life or status, everyone needs to relax little sometimes.

All groups did a wonderful job leading the class and helping us see the quality uses of each category presented.

over and out  <3

~Sarah

Art, Team Building, and Music

Happy April 20th! (yes.. it is still snowing.. *sigh)

This is the beginning of our group presentations!! I was pretty excited :}

Group one (my group!): Book Altering!!!!

I had never heard of book altering until my group was given the topic of ART and we decided to create the green way! We wanted to use recycled items for our art activity. At first we thought that making candle holders out of cans would be fun or making journals from cardboard and loose leaf paper, BUT then one of my group members suggested Book Altering. What's that?

Book altering is when you take a book (preferably hard cover) that you aren't going to use anymore (like all those text books that no one wants to buy from you that have piled up over all these years of college) and make it your own, something special to you. One usually starts by either decorating the cover or cutting/ripping around half of the book's pages. From there one goes crazy and paints, crayons, markers, glitters, glues, cuts, and does anything he or she can think of.

It's really fun! I made one for the class activity and have already started another!! I'm making a cookbook now :} You should definitely try this!
The populations that I think would greatly benefit from this activity would be any population that is looking to have self expression, work on creativity, or need a way to de-stress through good destruction or creativity. Groups such as Youth-at-Risk, Corrections, Cancer patients, Wounded Warriors, and so many others could greatly benefit from this fun (lengthy activity).

Group Two: Team Building

The second group moved the class outside (oh when it was nice out!!) and had us work together as a full class and in smaller groups to accomplish small tasks.
The first task for the entire class was to make a shape holding onto a rope. HOWEVER, the people who were holding onto the rope were blindfolded and were not allowed to speak. There were about three or four "leaders" of the group who were not connected to the rope, were not blindfolded, and could talk. These leaders tried to move the rope into position.

• As a part of the rope group, I felt left out not being able to talk or see, but I still had ideas about how to set the group. I was unable to express those ideas and instead was lead around like a dog.
• This activity showed and reminded our class that even though a person may have a disability that makes communication difficult that does not mean that the person may not be able to contribute to an activity or decision.

The next activity was telephone pictionary. This is a mixture between the games telephone (when one person starts with a sentence and whispers it in another's ear and it get passed down a long line of people) and Pictionary (when one person draws a picture and the group has to figure out what it is). I have played this game before and always find it fun. Telephone Pictionary is when a small group of people sits down in a circle with the same number of slips of paper as members of the group and begins with each person writing a sentence on the top slip of paper. Then the group will pass the piles of paper to the next person who (just from reading the top sentence) needs to try to draw out the sentence. Then the next pass, from only looking at the picture drawn, needs to try to write a sentence from the picture. The passing keeps going until the pile returns to the person who started it. The most fun is when the last card is passed and the beginning person gets to read what became of his or her sentence.

• This game shows how easily it is for miscommunication to occur! As TRS, we need to be careful how we communicate with our patients, co-workers, and all others around us.

The last activity of Team Building was very unique and the most challenging! In small groups, we were given different sized half paper tubes and one marble. Without moving the tubes any way but down, we were told to roll the marble all the way to a cup placed a good distance away.

We were given marble instead of little cars :}

My group never actually accomplished the task. It was hard! This was the activity that required the most team work and cooperation.

• The class decided that this activity would be good for people groups like youth-at-risk, other adults who are able to perform to the rules.
• However, the activity would be slightly straining on other populations less mobile, so different adaptations were thought of such as longer tubes, closer positioning of the cup, and different kinds of tubing.

Group Three: MUSIC

The last group organized a group of activities as if working with young children. They lead us through a discussion of different types of notes and rhythms. We then did a rhythm exercise of going around in a circle and making our own four beat rhythm. After this, we got to make our own small instruments!

After all of our little instruments were created and practiced with, we all came back together and did some more fun rhythm games. We were also lead in a body awareness activity.

• Although this group had targeted young children, this kind of activity could be adapted toward almost any population as long as the actions are age appropriate.
• The body awareness activity is a great way to help those people who do not understand exactly how their body is positioned around them such as people over coming stroke, wounded warriors, cancer patients, people with some kind of cognitive disability, and so many others.
• Using musical instruments is a great way to people to participate and work on important goals.

It was great leading the Book Altering activity and participating in the other activities!

~Sarah

RELAXation

Happy January! Oh wait.. I'm sorry, it's April isn't it. I must have been distracted by all the snow!!!
Nope: Happy April 19th!

Relaxation is the key to a happier and stress free life!

In class, we learned about different modes of relaxation. The first one was something almost completely new to me. It was called Laughter Yoga!

This is an exercise that combines laughter with yogic breathing. Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group; with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on a scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits. As a class, we were lead through a small sample of the yoga, but were very sceptical and didn't feel the benefits. We also watched a group of adults go through different parts of an actual exercise and found it strange. HOWEVER, I believe that the idea can do a great deal. Laughter is healing and truly helps de-stress a person.

There has been a lot of research on this innovative activity and here are some articles that I found:

• http://www.laughteryoga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5791:effects-of-laughter-therapy-on-depression-cognition-a-sleep-among-the-community-dwelling-elderly-korea&catid=89:ly-research&Itemid=280
• http://www.laughteryoga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5788:laugh-yourself-into-a-healthier-person-a-cross-cultural-analysis-india&catid=89:ly-research&Itemid=280
• http://www.laughteryoga.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5692:the-therapeutic-value-of-laughter-in-medicine-alt-ther-health-med-nov-dec-2010&catid=89:ly-research&Itemid=280

Another form of relaxation that we were lead through was

guided imagery.

Guided imagery is a relaxation technique where a person either closes his or her eyes and imagines a scene that the guide leads them through or watches a screen that shows a peaceful atmospheric scene (like the one shown above). Guided imagery is closely related to meditation in the way that it is based on the concept that the mind and body are one. This technique is meant to bring a person into a very relaxed state where that can aid healing, learning, creativity, and performance. It may help you feel more in control of your emotions and thought processes, which may improve your attitude, health, and sense of well-being.

Guided imagery has also been found to lower blood pressure, reduce other stress related problems, manage pain, promote healing, and even help reach goals such as quiting smoking or losing weight.

These are some great ways to relax; especially during finals week!! :}

Here are a few other modes:

Progressive Relaxation

Combination Relaxation Exercise

Exercise

Meditation

Yoga

Breathing Exercises

Thanks guys!!

~Sarah