11/13/2017

Going Places – Armchair Travel Programs

Gloria Hoffner, BA, ADC, AC-BC, CDP, author of Science

for Seniors; Going Places in Northern Europe

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Why have a travel program?

A travel program allows the activity staff

to connect with the memories of
residents, who lived in another country,
have friends or relatives overseas or who
enjoyed traveling in their youth.

It improves the connection between staff,

which may have been born in a foreign
land and the senior Americans they bring
services to every day.

DesignCultural Diversity over Age 65

According to the latest US census, the estimated

number of foreign-born people age 65 and older in the
U.S. was 3.1 million.7 Latin American and Asian
immigrants currently represent 53 percent of all
immigrants. These two groups now comprise 31 and 22
percent of the older, foreign-born, U.S. population,
respectively.

However, the Census Bureau estimates the U.S.

population by 2050 to be 420 million due to a
projected 30 percent immigration increase yielding a
racial and ethnic distribution of 50 percent white non-
Hispanic, 14 percent black, 24 percent Hispanic, 8
percent Asian, and 4 percent other.8

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Current Senior Population in Our Communities

The U.S. population older than 65 years of age includes many

limited English-speaking, reading and writing individuals. Not
only are there many languages spoken currently in each
neighborhood and LTC facility, but there are also many different
concepts influenced by the individual's culture.

Multicultural beliefs and behaviors intersect directly with the

beliefs and behaviors of the multicultural staff who have been
trained primarily in the concepts and practices of Western
nations. Staff must be aware of and respectful of different cultural
views of residents, according to the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.

Travel Program Health Benefits

Learning about other countries improves brain function.

Keith L. Black, M.D., chair of neurosurgery at Ceders-Sinai
Medical Center in Los Angeles said, “When you challenge
your brain you increase the number of brain cells and the
connections between those cells. It’s not enough to do
things you routinely do, like the daily crossword. You have
to learn new things.”

Cynthia Green, author of the book, 30 Days to Total Brain

Health, said, “Engaging the mind can help older brains
maintain healthy functioning.”

It provides visual and sensory stimulation by showing

residents the natural and manmade beauty of the planet
and by letting them see, feel and taste food from other
lands.

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Facility Benefits from a Travel Program

It can involve family members in an ongoing

residential activity program.

It’s inexpensive. Activity departments can

borrow free videos from the local library,
recruit free speakers and incorporate recipes
into the existing monthly menu.

It can be used as a day, week, month or

even an annual activity.

21st Century Benefits

It’s intergenerational by inviting school age

ethnic dance and music groups to visit and
entertain residents.

It serves both current and future long term

residents – the coming baby boomers are
the best traveled and most diverse
Americans in U.S. history.

It works with residents of ages and all

cognitive and physical abilities; long term
care as well as short term rehab.

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Travel Programs are Flexible for Any Schedule

Travel Programs can be an hour, a day or a

week of activities.

One Hour – Trivia and a movie

One Day – Trivia, movie, recipe, and game

One Week – Trivia, movie, recipe, game,

music, dance and outside entertainment
from local clubs, schools or performers.

Getting Started Planning a Travel Program

Do an inventory of the home countries of the residents and

the staff.

How many came from Greece, Jamaica, Russia and/or

Norway? Find out who would love to speak about, share
photos or contribute a recipe of their native land.

Select a country.

- Choose a country with an upcoming holiday tie-in, such

as Chinese New Year, Russian Easter Egg dying, Mexican
Independent Day and Mardi Gravis Carnival in Brazil.

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Select a Country by holiday, current event topic, etc.

Select a country based on a national

holiday such as: Boxer Day in Canada.

Select a country based on a party tie-in

event such as the Royal Birth in England.

Select a country based on a local

celebration the residents will attend such as
the Columbus Day Parade.

Select a country based on the birthday of a

resident or staff member.

Resident’s homeland

Choose to celebrate the traditions of a resident’s

birth country, such as Greece where rather than
celebrate the anniversary of their birth they
celebrate a birthday on the feast day of the saint
for whom they were named.

Choose a country based on the season, such as

celebrating the winter snow built hotels of Iceland
in January or warming up the month with an
armchair visit to Bermuda.

Choose a country based on a current event from

the news such as the Arab spring government
reforms or the splitting of the Sudan into two
nations.

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Cook up a Travel Program with Taste

Choose a country based on menu. If the kitchen is

planning on dying Easter eggs, why not also
incorporate the history of elaborate egg decorating in
the Ukraine.

Choose a country based on an intergeneration

program with a local school. Invite students from the
Irish dance school to perform during a day devoted to
Ireland. If students at the local elementary school are
studying England, invite them to share the homework
projects they made for the class.

Choose a country based on your community. Invite

dancers from the local synagogue for a program on
Israel and folk singers to share music from the
Vietnamese Fall Festival.

Set the Mood and Decorate the Room

Decorate the room with images from the country

of choice. Images are available online or through
local travel agencies.

Play music from the country featured in your travel

program.

***Important reminders when planning an activity

around a travel theme:

- When showing a film of a distant land, always

preview the video prior to a viewing by residents.
This will allow you to ensure it is appropriate, in
good working condition and fits or can be
trimmed for your time restraints.

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Props

You can help residents experience another

culture with a few real life objects from
foreign lands!

Spanish Castanets

Mexican Maracas

Ukrainian Easter Eggs

Irish hat

Postcards

Guest Speakers

When having a guest speaker tell residents about

their country, always preview what the speaker is
going to say. Don’t allow anyone to ‘wing it’ as
they may forget, go off topic or say something
inappropriate. Have them write it down, review it
and let them bring it to refer to as they speak.

When a resident is going to be speaking about

their nation of origin, allow them to feel
comfortable by commenting on the slides/video
being shown, ask if they want a mike, allow them
to stop when they want to stop and be ready to
step in with trivia or an activity to fill any
remaining time.

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Fun Facts

Always have fun facts and trivia handy. This

information doesn’t have to be used just when
the activity schedule says “trivia”. You can play
this informational game while waiting to
English muffins to bake, while waiting for
ethnic musicians to arrive and in the morning
announcements to entice residents to your
upcoming travel themed event.

Follow-up - Use books and other printed

materials available through local library loan
for residents who want to learn more about
other lands.

Parts of a Travel Program – Location - France

France is smaller than Texas. It is about 80

percent the size of Texas, but its landscape is
not anything like Texas. It is the home of
Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc at
15,781 feet and the Vosges Mountains are
covered in forests. The country has four river
basins and a plateau. Three flow west, the
Seine into the English Channel, the Loire
into the Atlantic and the Garonne into the
Bay of Biscay. The Rhine flows south into the
Mediterranean.

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French History

Cave art tells researchers that pre-modern

hominid populations lived in France
between 30,000 and 10,000 year ago. Greek
and Phoenician traders travel along the
French Mediterranean coast after about 600
B.C. and Celts migrate westward and settle
in the area.

French Fun Trivia

Where can you find hundreds of crocodiles

relaxing in France? Answer - The Crocodile
Farm in Pierrelatte because of the hot water
provided by the nearby Tricastin Nuclear
Power Center.

What are some famous inventions credited

to France? Answer – The adding machine,
hot air balloon, the airship, parachute, the
submarine, ambulance service and
photography.

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French Customs – How are we alike and different

Wedding traditions of France will be familiar

to many in the U.S. such as the wedding
armoire, known as a traditional hope chest
in America, to store the bride’s trousseau,
which includes linen, jewelry and clothing. It
is usually made by the father of a future
bride and is given to her whilst she is still
young. Wedding armoires are usually hand
carved with symbols of wealth and
prosperity. Women are expected to fill their
armoire over the years, ready to take to her
new home once they marry.

Cook up French Culture with Food

Baguette - French Bread - is a stable of the French diet served with cheese and with a meal.

Ingredients: 1 package dry yeast, 1 Tablespoon salt, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 2½ cups warm water, 7 cups of flour and an egg
white, lightly beaten.

Process: Grease two cookie sheets. Dissolve the yeast, salt, and sugar in water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the flour until a
stiff dough forms. Turn the dough onto a floured surface, such as a countertop or cutting board and knead for 10 minutes.

Clean out the mixing bowl, lightly oil it, and return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough
rise until doubled in size, ½ hour or so. Dip your fist in flour and push your fist into the center of the dough to "punch" it
down. Remove from the bowl, and knead 3 or 4 more times. Separate the dough into 4 equal pieces. Form each piece into a
long loaf. Place 2 on each of the greased cookie sheets. Carefully slash the top diagonally every few inches with a knife. Brush
the loaves with the egg white. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let the loaves rise again for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven
to 400°F. Bake loaves for 10 minutes. Lower heat to 350°F and bake 20 more minutes.

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French Music and Dance Videos for Viewing

• YouTube. French Music in

the French Café. 2014.
Retrieved March 11, 2015.
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=s6BuZOYboZM
• Dance Videos
• YouTube. French Can-Can
Dance. 2010. Retrieved
March 11, 2015.
https://search.yahoo.com/s
earch?ei=utf-8&fr=ytff1-
yff27&p=youtube%20frenc
h%20can%20can%20dance
&type=

French Sports & Fun Facts

One of the best known international sporting events takes
place in France, the Tour de France. It is a cycling competition
that vent takes place each July and lasts three grueling weeks.
It requires cyclists to master rough terrain, continuing over
2,235 miles even as it rains, which be quite treacherous.
Trivia
1) What is the Grand randonnees? Answer – It is the term
for walking long distance trails around France.
2) What is the rule when walking trails in France? Answer –
It is an offense to leave the trial and walk on the grass.
3) What is boules or petanque? Answer – Lawn bowling.
Two teams attempt to roll or throw balls closest to a jack
in the middle, knocking their opponent's ball out of the
way. In Italy the game is call bocce.

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France activity - Let’s Play a Game

Bilboquet is played by catching a ball in a cup. This game has been popular in France since
the 16th century.
To Play: string the string through the bead and punch a hole at the bottom of the cup. Next
pull the string through the hole and tie a not so the string is attached to the cup. Using only
one hand, players try to swing the bead into the cup.
Winner: is the first one to get their bead into the cup.
Materials: String, large bead with a hole through the center, scissors to make the hole and a
paper cup.
Number of Players: One per cup and attached bead. It can be used with one residents as a
solitary game or with six residents competing for the first who masters the bead in the cup.
ICHI Benefits: control of voluntary movements, muscle force, and mobility of joints.

America’s Roots – Famous People from France Trivia

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Answer - A poet who wrote "Paul Revere's Ride", “The Song of
Hiawatha”, and “Evangeline”. His first major poetry collections were “Voices of the Night” in
1839 and Ballads and Other Poems in 1841. Longfellow died in 1882. He was of French
descent.
Henry David Thoreau. Answer - A writer, was born in 1817 who is famous for his book
“Walden” which is a diary of his life while spending two years in a wilderness near Concord,
Massachusetts. His ancestors were French.
Edna St. Vincent Millay, a poet and playwright, who received the 1923 Pulitzer Prize for
Poetry for “The Harper Weaver and Other Poems”, a talent that began at 14 when she won
the St. Nicholas Gold Badge for poetry. Her ancestors were French.
Robert Goulet. Answer - An actor who made his debut in the Broadway production of
Camelot in 1960. At age 14 he won a singing scholarship to the Royal Conservatory of music
in Toronto. He earned a Tony award in 1968 for "Happy Time" and performed for three
presidents and Queen Elizabeth II. His parents were French-Candian.

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Let’s Visit Germany – Location and Art Project

Germany is located in central Europe surrounded by Denmark, Poland, the Czech

Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands,
its shares borders with the second-highest number of European countries, second
only to Russia. It is about 85 percent the size of California.

German Flag to color: Coloring Castle. 2004 – 2014

http://www.coloringcastle.com/pdfs/flags/flag-germany-123.pdf Retrieved
June 13, 2015.

German History and Landmarks

The region becomes associated with the name Germany in the 1st century B.C. when during
the conquest of Gaul the Romans became aware there is an ethnic and linguistic distinction
between the Celts and the Germans. In 800 A.D. 800 Charlemagne, as Holy Roman Emperor,
ruled over a territory that encompassed large parts of Europe including present day Germany.
During the Middle Ages Germany was marked by internal fighting among local rulers.

Landmarks
The Rügen Cliffs are located in the Jasmund National Park in the northeast of Rügen
Island. Facing constant erosion the chalk cliffs tower high above the Baltic Sea. The 387
feet Königsstuhl, which means king’s chair, is the most majestic part of the cliffs. The
undisturbed forests behind the cliffs are also part of the national park.
The Romantic Rhine is the most famous section of the Rhine River, running between
from Koblenz to Bingen. The river Rhine carves its way here through steep vineyard-
covered hills topped with countless castles and ruins.

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Travel and Hotels in Germany – Plan an Armchair Trip

http://www.travelmath.com/

Distance
From New York to Berlin is 3978 miles. Flight time is 8 hours
and 27 minutes.
From Chicago to Berlin is 4, 414 miles. Flight time is 9 hours and
20 minutes.
From Dallas to Berlin is 5,218 miles. Flight time is 10 hours and
56 minutes.
From Seattle to Berlin is 5,060 miles. Flight time is 10 hours and
37 minutes.

Hotels
Das Stue Located in Berlin just a 15 minute walk to the
Brandenburg Gate, it has a pool , spa and two restaurants.

German Music and Dance – Always Add Trivia

Oktoberfest Music. September 10, 2012. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii-qdSPkCfs Retrieved June
13, 2015

German Dance. October 28, 2007. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddy4LJCC7bk Retrieved
June 13, 2015
Trivia
1)What are Flying Steps? Answer – A popular
contemporary street dance in Germany.
2) Why was dance banned in Bavaria during the 18th
century? Answer – Dance was banned for about 30 years
because authorities feared it would lead to immoral
behavior.
3) What is The Grossvater Tanz, translated as
Grandfather's Dance? Answer – This is a German dance
tune from the 17th century usually played at weddings.

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German Chocolate Game

Schokoladenessen
Materials – Chocolate bar (or treat) newspaper
and/or nesting boxes and dice.
To Play – Wrap a chocolate bar in several layers of
newspaper and tie with a ribbon (or place in nesting
boxes). Place this in the center of the table and seat
residents around the table. Each player rolls the die
once, trying for a six, and play proceeds clockwise. The
next player rolls and this continued until another
player rolls six and takes over the unwrapping. The last
player to unwrap, eats the chocolate.

German food/ recipe

Apple Strudel - Authentic strudel is made with strudel dough, a labor-intensive, paper-thin
dough. To simplify things, this recipe uses phyllo dough, which is widely available and
relatively easy to work with.
Ingredients: Crumb mixture: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, 1 cup
fresh bread crumbs and1/3 cup sliced almonds
Apple filling: 1 1/2 pounds (about 4 apples) Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved, cored and
very thinly sliced, 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/3 cup
golden raisins and 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Base: 8 sheets phyllo dough (each sheet measuring 12″ x 17″), 6 tablespoons unsalted
butter, melted and Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling
Process: Make crumb mixture: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bread
crumbs and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until crumbs are golden
brown. Stir in the sliced almonds and set aside to cool.
Make filling: Place apples slices in large bowl and toss with lemon zest, lemon juice and
raisins. Add sugar and toss to coat.

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Food Fun and Trivia

Assemble strudel: Position a rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lay a
sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface. Lightly brush sheet with butter. Sprinkle with 2 1/2
tablespoons bread crumb mixture. Layer remaining 7 sheets phyllo over first, buttering and
sprinkling each one with bread crumb mixture. Spoon apple compote evenly down long side
of phyllo, about 2″ from bottom edge and 1″ in from both sides. Fold bottom edge and side
flaps over filling and roll up phyllo jelly roll-style.
Transfer strudel to baking sheet and brush it lightly with melted butter. Bake for 30 to 35
minutes, or until crisp and golden. Remove strudel from oven and let cool on baking sheet on
wire rack for 10 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve, sliced, with whipped
cream.
Trivia
1)True or false. Beer is officially considered a food in Bavaria. Answer – True.
2)How many kinds of bread are baked in Germany? Answer – 0ver 300.
3)Where were gummy bears invented? Answer – Germany.
4) How many kinds of sausage are served in Germany? Answer – Over 1,000.
5)What is the proper way to order a beer in Germany? Answer – You raise your thumb –
never your index finger.

German customs

German mothers do not receive baby showers by family and friends. Giving gifts to an
unborn child is considered bad luck. Instead, gifts are given after the birth.
German maternity leave allows the mother to be to leave work 8 weeks before giving birth
and receive three years of unpaid time off following the birth.
Traditionally, the infant was named after grandparents and great-grandparents. Each child
had two names, a saint’s name use during Baptism, and a secular common use name.
Tradition Trivia
1)What do families do when welcoming a baby girl? Answer – They plant a tree in the
front yard of the family home.
2)What happens to the baby girl’s birth tree when she is older? Answer – When she
marries the tree is removed from the lawn and sold to help pay for her wedding.
3)Traditionally, German brides carried what outside on their wedding day? Answer –
They carried dishes and threw them into the street. If a single dish remained
unbroken, it was a sign of bad luck for the marriage.
4) What happens if a bird dies in his cage the day after the wedding? Answer – It
brings the couple bad luck.
5)What does it mean if a bird sings the day of the wedding? Answer – Good luck.

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Books for photos, trivia and follow-up by residents

Steve, Rick. Rick Steve’s Germany 2015. Avalon Travel Publishing.

January 6, 2015.
Foder’s Germany. May 27, 2014. Forder’s.
Christiani, Kerry and Schulte-Peevers, Andrea. Lonely Planet Germany.
March 1, 2013. Lonely Planet.
Christiani, Kerry and DiDuca, Marc. Lonely Planet Munich, Bavaria &
the Black Forest. March 1, 2013. Lonely Planet.
Neal, Lisa. France: An Illustrated History. 2001. Illustrated
Histories Hippocrene
Jenkins, Cecil. Brief History of France. 2011.
Robb, Graham. Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris. 2011.
Robb, Graham. The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography.
2008.

German Roots
John Jacob Astor Answer - Born near Heidelberg he came to America in 1783
and became successful in the fur trade with the American Fur Co. and later in
New York real estate and banking.
Walter Baade Answer - He was an German-American astronomer who made
important discoveries at California's Mount Wilson and Palomar observatories
related to star types, supernovas, galaxies, and the size of the universe. He
also discovered many asteroids, including Hidalgo (1920) and Icarus (1949).
John Jacob Bausch Answer -The co-founder of Bausch & Lomb, he was a
German immigrant who borrowed money from Henry Lomb to expand his
optical shop in Rochester, New York.
Dwight D. Eisenhower. Answer - He was an American president whose
German ancestors came to America in the 1700s. After serving as Allied
supreme commander in World War II, Eisenhower became the 34th
president of the U.S.
Harvey S. Firestone. Answer - He was the founder of the American tire
and rubber company that bears his name. His German ancestors came
to America in the 1700s.

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French and German Art Projects – Color a map/flag

Flag of France -
http://www.coloringcastle.com/flag_coloring_pages.html
Retrieved March 27, 2015
Map of France - http://www.coloring.ws/france.htm Retrieved
March 27, 2015.
German Flag to color: Coloring Castle. 2004 – 2014
http://www.coloringcastle.com/pdfs/flags/flag-germany-123.pdf
Retrieved June 13, 2015.
German map to color: Worldatlas.
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/printpage/printpa
ge.php?l=/webimage/countrys/europe/lgcolor/decolor.gif
Retrieved June 13, 2015.

More Resources for Creating a Travel Program

National Geographic Expeditions - www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com -
This website can show you incredible views of locations around the world and offers trips
accompanied by a trained guide to give you information on the location.

Lonely Planet - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/ - This website can show you places of

natural beauty including wild life, adventure and food and drink around the world.

Road Scholar - http://www.roadscholar.org/ - This website has 5,000 educational

tour packages in 150 countries.

Gearjunkie - http://gearjunkie.com/ - This website will show you the best places to
hike around the world from the U.S. to Nepal.

Your Amazing Place - http://www.youramazingplaces.com/ - This website will

show you travel, art, architecture and photography from around the world.

Leading Hotels of the World - http://www.lhw.com/ - This website will show you the
best places to stay anywhere in the world.

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Games Around the World – Iceland

Olsen Olsen - is the Icelandic version of Crazy Eights.
To Play - The dealer deals five cards to each player (seven each if there are only two players). The undealt cards are
placed face down on the table, and the top card is turned face up. Starting with the player to dealer's left, and
continuing clockwise, each player in turn must either place a card face up on top of the discard pile, or draw a card
from the undealt cards.
If the top card of the discard pile is not an eight, the player may play any card which matches the rank or suit of the
previous card. For example, if the top card was the king of hearts the player could play any king or any heart.
An eight may be played on any card, and the player of the eight must nominate a suit. If an eight is on top of the pile,
you must play either another eight or any card of the suit nominated by the person who played the eight.
Materials – A standard 52 deck of cards.
Winner: The first player who gets rid of all their cards wins and yells, "Olsen Olsen"!
ICHI Benefits: mental functions of language, speech, articulation, control of voluntary movement, muscle force and
mobility of joints.

Ireland - SNAP
Materials: regular 52 card deck.
Players: 2 – 12
Object of the Game: To be the first player to win all the
cards..
Process: Cards are dealt face down with an equal number
for each player. The first player places a card in the center
of the table. This continues with each player placing a card
on top of the last player’s card. When a card placed on top
matches the card below, such as a queen on a queen, the
first person to yell “SNAP” and hit the pile of cards with
their hand wins all the cards. The game resumes with all
players and remaining cards until one person has all the
cards.

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Switzerland – I Spy Something

I Spy Something – This is a game played with a group.
To Play: seat residents in a circle in a room. The activity leader is ‘it’
the person who is going to say, “I spy with my little eye something
that is green.” Now the residents take turns guessing what the leader
has spotted in the room. The leader says “hot” or “cold” based on
how close the guess is to the object.
Winner: The first person to guess the object wins and is the leader of
the next game.
Number of players: 2 or more.
ICHI Benefits: mental benefits of language, speech and articulation.

Austria – Snap Ball

Snap Ball is a popular outdoor game in Austria which is modified here for residents in
wheelchairs to play indoors. Divided the residents into two teams and line up in rows across
from each other. The activity person tosses a soft indoor ball to one team member. That team
member throws to a member of the opposite team. If the opposite player catches the ball, they
hand the ball to the person next to them and that person tosses to the other team.
Winner: If any person fails to catch the ball, they are out - removed from the game. The next
member of their team throws to the opposing team and this continues until there is one
winner.
Number of players: This can be as little as four players, two per team, or as many as 20 players,
10 per team but there must always been an even number of players on both teams.
Materials needed: One large soft indoor ball.
The ICHI benefits of this game are: mental function of language, voice and articulation, and
control of voluntary movements and mobility of joints.

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Belgium - Darts

Belgian Darts - Vogelpik The game of darts in Belgium began as Vogelpik, an older game in
which players used stuffed birds with needle attached to throw against a board on a wall and
gain points.
Today the birds have been replaced with feathered darts tossed at a circular target. Each
player is given four darts and throws them one after another. The next player does the same.
The darts are removed from the board, the score tallied and the game continues for five
rounds.
Winner: The player with the highest score from all five rounds, wins.
Number of players: Two single players or two teams of two players each.
Materials: (Modified for residents) Velcro darts, four per player and a Velcro dart board.
The ICHI benefits of the game are: mental functions of language, articulation, and control of
voluntary movements, balance, muscle force and mobility of joints.

Spain - Chapas
Chapas is the name for bottle caps and the traditional Spanish bottle cap game.
(Modified for use with residents.)
Materials – One bottle cap per person (you can substitute plastic milk caps), pennies
(one per cap) paper, pencils, scissors and markers.
Before you play - Place the cap name side down and place a penny inside the cap. Place
the cap on the paper and draw a line around the cap to make a circle. Cut out the circle
and have each resident draw a picture or a symbol. Now trim the picture so it fits inside
the cap on top of the penny and this is the artist resident’s chapa.
To Play –Tape a paper with a red, blue, and black vertical lines on the wall with an edge
touching the table. Seat residents at the table across from the paper and give each one
their chapa. They take turns with their fingers hitting the cap towards the colored lines.
Closest to red wins 1 point, closest to blue wins two has 10 turns and the highest score
wins.

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Spain – Matador Game

Materials: Set of dominos.

Process: Each player gets 5 dominos and the remaining dominos go in the center of the table. Each player pulls one domino from the
pile. These are placed on the table to start the opening board. The player who selected the highest number goes first . The goal is to
matching one of their dominos with the board. Players must connect either end of the domino line not with a matching number on
either end, but one causing the two connecting ends to total seven, i. e. a six-spot end must be connected with a one-spot one, a
four-spot with a three-spot, and a two-spot with a five-spot. Doubles are placed endwise and count the same as single dominoes.
Blanks are closed to play of any domino other than a "matador." A "matador" can be either the double-blank domino or one
containing a total of seven pips (4-3, 5-2, and 6-1). A player can also place a "matador" at any time without any regard to the numbers
at either end of the domino line.

When a player does not have a domino that connects with either end of the domino line, the player must pick a domino from the
"boneyard" and see if this is playable. If it is, the domino must be played; otherwise one must pick another domino repeatedly until a
playable one turns up. If the "boneyard" is empty, i.e. all dominoes have been taken, the player must signify that he passes his turn,
usually by knocking. There is also a rule set that says that when a player has no playable domino and picks up an unplayable domino
from the "boneyard," the player must pass immediately. Winner – the first to use all their dominos.

Denmark – Kick the Kitty

Kick the Kitty Cat – This is an old traditional game based on a live cat inside a barrel. Don’t’
worry this cruel part of the game no longer exists but a fun modified tradition has survived.
To play fill a wooden barrel (substitute a balloon) with candy and little toys, suspended in
the air. The game participants take turns hitting the barrel until all the goodies fall out. As
an alternative for residents, game players could take turns rolling and shaking the balloon
until it breaks open.
Winner: Everybody who participates get a share of the loot, but there are two winners in
the game: the Cat Queen, the person who brakes the barrel; and the Cat King, the person
who knocks down the last remaining part of the barrel.
Materials: A wooden barrel, candy and small prizes, a hook, wooden sticks and a rope. This
can be modified for residents in long term care. Blow up a very large balloon and tie off the
end. Cover the surface of the balloon completely in string except for a 2 inch by 2 inch
square. Paint the string with glue. When the glue dries, pop and remove the balloon. Now
fill the empty string balloon with candy and tape shut the opening.
Number of Players: Ten.
ICHI Benefits: mental function of language, articulation, mobility of joints, muscle force and
control of voluntary movements.

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Poland – Everything with Feathers Flies

This fun game comes from Poland and requires players to call
on their verbal skills.
Materials – A table and 5 to 10 players.
How To Play - The activity person leading the game calls out
the name of an animal. If the animals has feathers, the players
hit the table and repeats the name of the animal. Anyone who
hits the table for an animal without feathers, is out.
The Winner - Is the last person remaining in the game.

More resources for Travel Program Materials

Ten Thousand Villages –

www.tenthousandvillages.com items made by
indigenous people from around the world.
African instruments – www.djembedirect.com
Items from museum shops – www.muse.com
Hats from around the world –
www.villagehatshop.com
Going Places in Northern Europe Armchair
Adventures and Activities book by Gloria
Hoffner and published by Idyll Arbor Inc. $24.

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For a copy of the power point write

me at: [email protected]
Going Places in Northern Europe Armchair Adventures and Activities
published by Idyll Arbor Inc. available at: Guitarwithgloria.com

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