Log in

View Full Version : Community mental health.


beplmi
Sep 18, 2013, 08:02 AM
I want to do an activity for the group home I work at. Halloween is approaching and there are 6 guys who live in the home. Most of them are above 40. What is an appropriate activity for Halloween? They are not very active so getting them to do things can be difficult

Oliver2011
Sep 18, 2013, 08:16 AM
Carving or painting pumpkins is always a blast.

beplmi
Sep 18, 2013, 08:31 AM
Yes. It would but they cannot have knives. So I'm looking for something inexpensive and involves no sharps

Wondergirl
Sep 18, 2013, 08:36 AM
Painting pumpkins wouldn't involve any sharp objects.

How about bake pumpkins? -- bake pumpkin halves, scoop out the flesh, and make pumpkin bread that they can eat after it's out of the oven. We did it with 4 year olds, so these guys should be able to handle it, if you get organized first. Also, roast the pumpkin seeds and salt them for snacking. Ask me for details.

Oliver2011
Sep 18, 2013, 08:40 AM
Face painting contest?
Decorating sheets for ghost costumes where the eye and mouth holes are already cut out?

I also like the baking suggesting from Girl Wonder! You could have them decorate cookies with a halloween theme.

beplmi
Sep 18, 2013, 08:41 AM
Bake the pumpkins? I have never done that where to begin?

Wondergirl
Sep 18, 2013, 08:44 AM
Bake the pumpkins? I have never done that where to begin?
We cut them in half, put them flesh side down on a pan, and baked them. Here's from a site --

To make pumpkin purée, cut a pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Or, if you are working with pumpkin pieces, roast or boil them until tender, then remove and discard the skin. Pumpkin Bread Recipe | Simply Recipes (http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pumpkin_bread/)

Wondergirl
Sep 18, 2013, 08:48 AM
You could have them decorate cookies with a halloween theme.
They could even cut out pre-made dough and use Halloween cutters, bake the cookies, and then decorate them with icing and sprinkles and red hots and mini chocolate chips.

I did this as a den mother with Cub Scouts. They wanted to eat the dough, red hots, and chocolate chips before the cookies even got baked, so beware! At Christmas we made rum balls and peanut brittle as gifts for parents -- the boys loved sampling the rum balls -- were very quiet and well behaved during that meeting!