At the Last Lunch, Learn and Network, attendees shared these easy to implement ideas from their own programs. Which might work for you?
- Have people create nametags that say “My name is ______. Ask me about ________.”
- Put conversation starters, either questions or pictures, on tables where people gather.
- Fun activity: Do mirror shadows – where old and young mirror each other’s actions.
- Play music and dance with scarves.
- Do a service project for an outside community group – like baking dog biscuits for an animal shelter, or putting together a party pack for Birthday Wishes, an organization that brings birthday parties to homeless children.
- When looking for volunteers, think about what roles you have to fill and then look for appropriate people. For example, at the Latke-palooza, Aviv needs fun activities for guests to engage in. Teens need community service and have lots of energy/ideas. Invite teens to lead activities such as doing manicures or facepainting.
- When looking to initiate a new program, think about what groups of people you have readily available and what their interest is, then look for a partner organization. Lynda shared that at one of the HSL communities, there were many Holocaust survivors who wanted to share their stories. So she reached out to a local school and asked if they had an opportunity for these people to come and share.
- Bring in a multigenerational artists, musicians, storytellers.
- Have people share collections – perhaps even create a “museum” of collections.
- Build community. Invite outside (music or other such) groups in to practice or hold meetings in your space.
- Remember: It is important to ensure safety – physical and emotional.
Resources
- Bridges Together has conversation starters and a “Gift To This World” activity in the Resources section of the website: BridgesTogether.org.
- Someone shared about the music of David Polansky out of Natick. http://www.davidpolansky.com/.
