Sport

National Gardening Association
The National Gardening Association provides an interactive and informative website that describes types of plant life, methods, techniques, and tips for learning how to create and maintain a successful garden.  It offers links for How-To tutorials and videos, as well as an immense amount of useful information on how to begin and sustain several types of gardens.  Gardening is an incredibly rewarding activity and developing this type of program is a great way for a leisure service provider to encourage the elderly populations participation in an uplifting interactive hobby.

Gardening can be a fantastic activity that keeps the minds and bodies of the elderly feeling invigorated and accomplished.  There is a great deal of dedication and measurable reward within the hobby of gardening.  Also, it can be done a physical level that isnt overly stressful on the body.  The size of gardening projects can range from small indoor personal plants to large outdoor group gardens with edible vegetables and fresh herbs.

The website divides its detailed information into several different types of gardens including flower, edible, and general landscaping.  The user has the ability to search the type of climate, moisture content, sunlight exposure, care level, and temperature tolerance for thousands of plants.  With this resource a leisure service provider can research easy to care for plants and vegetation that would suit the activity level of the elderly.

The step-by-step How To tutorials make devising a plan for any type of garden very easy. I would use these descriptive guides to first put together a small gardening project involving planting individual potted plants, vegetables, and herbs to encourage a basic interest in gardening. Based on the success of that activity I would then develop a modestly sized outdoor garden that takes an even greater commitment and dedication for those who have the desire to spend more time and effort on sustaining a garden.

Beach Body Tony  the Folks
This website offers a 30 minute instructional video specifically geared towards physical activity for those aged 55 and older.  Having a routine that maintains a healthy level of fitness is one way for the elderly to retain mental and physical dexterity.  Purchasing this video for a mere 10 is a cheap and easy way to implement an effective course of action for a leisure service provider.  Even if the program organizer doesnt wish to use the video directly, it can be a great resource for types of exercises that accommodate the physical sensitivities and weaknesses of the elderly.  Other similar materials can be researched or purchased to use for reference if they wish to combine several techniques into an original callisthenic exercise routine.
The website itself only offers bullet points and describes the benefits of incorporating a low level fitness routine for the elderly.  The real step-by-step information is included on the DVD you are required to purchase.  The only shortcoming I foresee with this leisure activity is that although it is geared towards the elderly, perhaps not all residents or interested participants would be able to meet the physical demands.  However, this only has a minimal impact if you offer several other non-strenuous courses along with this physical fitness routine.

A short group exercise routine is a great way to not only encourage health consciousness for the elderly, but also gain a sense of community, togetherness, and purpose.  Having the participants go through the activity together with lively music and an energetic leader is a fantastic way to keep their minds and bodies feeling young.  Using an instructional physical fitness video is a low-effort and affordable way to provide that service.

Arts and Crafts for Seniors
This article explores the construction of arts and crafts in a way that accommodates physical ailments of the elderly.  Arthritis is an extremely common condition and it can prevent senior citizens from being able to participate in and enjoy fun activities with their peers.  For a leisure service provider incorporating an arts and crafts program would greatly encourage participation and mental alertness of the elderly.  This website describes materials and specific decorating methods that are easy on those who have been weakened by the effects of chronic arthritis.

The author lists several activity ideas, each accompanied with a list of necessary materials and a generic How-To instruction for creating each specific craft. All of the materials are common items that are easily purchased at any grocery, arts and crafts, or discount department store.  They generally have soft textures and are easily malleable to create as little difficulty as possible for those participating in the activity.  Some of the crafts mentioned are Foam Magnet Friends, Sponge Painted Stationary, Rag Wreath, and Flower Arranging.  These arts and crafts activities provide not only an afternoon of entertainment but can continually be built upon and be developed into larger long-term projects.

This website is a great starting point for developing an arts and crafts program that accommodates common physical ailments of the elderly.  It lists ideas that can be built upon, altered and developed to provide an engaging and interesting activity for its older generation participants.

This website serves as a hub for purchasing games specifically geared towards the abilities and interests of the elderly.  Some of its products include large print cards, word games, nostalgia games, generational activities books, life stories board games, as well as crossword and jigsaw puzzles.  Instead of organizing a large group activity, this website is a great resource for offering individual and smaller group forms of entertainment.  Even the elderly enjoy personal time or direct interaction with one or two other people, and providing games like these is a great way to entertain those who have the tendency to be more introverted.
A leisure service provider could use this website to research and purchase several games that focus on entertaining the older generation.  By incorporating a Free Play Time with these activities it allows the seniors to enjoy recreation at their own pace.  They have the ability to sit alone with a jigsaw puzzle and use their problem solving skills, or join a group game of Hearts or Bridge where they can sit back and enjoy the company of others.  It is a good idea to provide entertainment that is less rigid, so the participants feel more in control of their day-to-day lives, instead of being led in more structured activities.

Providing these games is a relatively inexpensive and an easy way to give the elderly the ability to entertain themselves.  Although physical exercise is important, mental acuteness and direct emotional social interaction is also extremely important.  It keeps their mental abilities sharp, increases their overall social activity, and allows them to have more control over how they feel like spending their time.

Music-Outreach - Books Recordings  Videos for Use with the Elderly
This website offers several volumes of musical enjoyment specifically intended to entertain the elderly.  Loaded with dozens and dozens of past-time tunes, this musical resource is great for facilitating a walk down memory lane.  This compilation of traditional and nostalgic songs can provide a great sing-along and dance activity for seniors.  Being able to enjoy the things that remind them of their youth is an important way to keep the elderly feeling invigorated and happy.

A leisure service provider could purchase several volumes of songs and organize a group of interested participants to get together and sing along to the tunes they remember from their pasts.  This is a great way to engage their cognitive abilities, memory recognition, and vocal dexterity.  For those with a greater ability for physical activity, they can also set up a small dance floor in the area to allow for the participants to dance along with the tunes.  It is a larger group activity that requires those involved to have an increased direct participation.  So, in order to maximize the effectiveness of the activity all that are involved should be eager and dedicated.  It is not something that people can be indifferent about and requires a bit more emotionally energetic involvement.

This website provides a plethora of musical enjoyment that has the ability to engage and enliven elderly participants.  There is little required for organizational preparation or financial dedication to provide this artistic and gratifying activity.  It is also a hobby that encourages togetherness and appreciation for those around you. It is a great alternative for seniors who are looking for activities to enrich their lives.