Cherry Picking: the practice of choosing the most beneficial from what is available.

With Activity Professionals over-extended during this pandemic, and programming turned upside down with social distancing, we thought a crash-course in Cherry-Picking would be useful. Why? Because it’s important now more than ever to keep LEARNING alive.
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For subscribers opening a new topic – 32 print-and-go activities can seem overwhelming right now. So, I’m going to use Destination Belgium as an example here, but this can be applied to ANY of the Primers on our website.

Pick a reading: Choose a Primer reading to print out, with the intention of reading with your senior to begin, and leaving the rest for them to read on their own. Your discussion the next day can be about what was learned.
Choose art that can be shared: Looking at art and discussing the colors, composition and artist name and time period is a wonderful cognitive exercise. If your groups are socially distanced – you can project the images.
Select a Writer’s Workshop: We know the huge benefits attached to reaching for words and making those connections.
There are music recommendations in the Just for Fun and Setting the Stage sections of this study. Be sure to add this to the play list. This is especially important in memory care.

So, here’s what a cherry-picked view of Belgium would look like:
Primer – Belgium’s History and Geography
Point to Ponder – Godiva Chocolatier (Be sure to have a small piece of chocolate to share!)
Art Study – The Art of Theo van Rysselberghe. You can use the discussion questions provided.
Writers Workshop – Belgium Word Play – all you need is a piece of paper and an imagination! (A white board for a socially distanced group.)
Music – Cue up some Eugène Ysaÿe or Toots Thielemans on your phone or ipad. Discuss these Belgian composers.

Not all of these activities will be right for each senior, but armed with this pared-down arsenal, you’ll have something for everyone, and the learning about Belgium will have begun. (Next week – cherry pick from Primer 2 in Destination Belgium!)

We encourage you to “Go cherry picking” on the pages of The Purple Primer, because we believe that learning is the biggest weapon you can wield in the fight against isolation and depression. We see you warriors and salute you all for your work and care at this incredible time.

We made these activities available for those who are not yet subscribed. Enjoy!