15 Virtual Activities for Residents in Isolation

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed your activity calendar, and you might be struggling to find new ways to connect with your residents.

If you have technology readily available in your community, you can begin to spice up your programming by using virtual activities. Here is a list of sites, apps, and programs you can begin using any time.

Why Virtual Activities?

Activity Professionals are searching for ways to connect to residents now that group programs have been limited or eliminated due to the coronavirus pandemic. While activity packets full of word searches and worksheets are excellent ideas in the short-term, communities with the technology available can use virtual activities to add more “oomph” to their programming.

Virtual activities can be done in small groups that practice social distancing, in 1:1 interventions, or even independently. For most activities, you just need some type of smart device (tablet, phone, television) that has internet access. Then, when the activity is done, you can quickly disinfect the device before passing it to another resident.

Resist the urge to give your residents every virtual option at once. Instead, spread it out and use each virtual opportunity as the chance to build a theme. For example, serve Dole Whips during your hallway happy hour after residents have the chance to virtually ride a few rides at Disney (see below). You can create Disney trivia as well to round out the afternoon.

Finally, as the pandemic continues, more businesses and entertainers will likely be incorporating virtual or streaming experiences. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled and bookmark the experience so you can find it later when you are creating your next calendar.

Virtual Trips

Taking virtual tours is a great way to continue your armchair travel groups, but without having residents congregated together. You can use these links to host “trips” through your in-house television system or via devices you pass out to individual residents.

• Take an interactive tour of 4 of America’s National Parks
• Stroll the Great Wall of China
• Check out pandas via the “panda cam” at the Atlanta Zoo
• Choose any of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s live cams, including the sea otter cam (so cute!)
• Go to the Galapagos via this YouTube video
• Visit the world’s largest cave, Son Doong Cave in Vietnam with this interactive tour (don’t forget to turn up the sound) 
• Tour the Vatican
• Listen to oral histories at the National Women’s History Museum
• Ride It’s a Small World at Disney
• Visit Sea World and ride the Mako roller coaster
• Explore virtual camping sites via KOA

Streaming Events

It seems like everyone is streaming right now - concerts, classes, and even karaoke sessions! Here are a few your residents may want to tap into:

• The Metropolitan Opera is streaming performances every night at 7:30 pm EST and then saving the playback for 24 hours
• The Cincinnati Zoo is hosting “Home Safari” live streams daily at 3 pm via their Facebook page. You can also check them out on their YouTube channel.
• Check out a calendar of upcoming live stream music events
• Be sure to live stream church services as well; simply check the website for your local churches for information as most are live streaming during this time
• Take a doodling class from the Kennedy Center’s Artist in Residence, Mo Williams. While he is known for being a children’s author, the Lunch Doodles series really can be for anyone.

Programs to Enjoy Together (Separately)

You can also use technology to create a way for residents to stay connected with one another during this time.

• Start a private resident-only Facebook group. Residents can build their own social media profile, say hello to other residents, and even participate in Facebook Live videos that you host
• Use Kahoot!, a platform for creating your own trivia. Residents can answer questions by downloading the Kahoot! app on their device
• Host exercise via Facebook Live or Zoom to engage residents in their rooms
• Have residents take photos on their device and email them to you so that you can create a digital art show for them to enjoy (post photos in a shared Google Photos folder or on your private Facebook group)

I’d love to add to our list of virtual programming ideas, so comment with anything you are using now that is successful. We can all learn from one another.