It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and it’s time to liven up your residents’ spirits! There are so many ways to show your residents you appreciate them and create an unforgettable experience to help ring in the holidays and the New Year.
1. Meditation & Sound Healing Experience
What better time to promote relaxation and health than during the stress of the holiday season? Sound healing classes are gaining traction and offer a more immersive and interactive way to help promote guided relaxation in conjunction with healing. The concept involves sound bowls or tuning forks which are chimed at various preset frequencies, said to provide different healing effects on layers of the body and physical ailments. Sound healing is a great format to help entertain residents interested in more alternative and emerging forms of meditation and healing modalities.
2. Resident Friends-giving Celebration
While holidays are centered around family and friends, for some it can be a reminder of loved ones who have passed and be a lonely time. Give your residents a chance to fill that void and connect with neighbors with a Resident Friends-giving celebration that can be locally catered. Simple table placements, candles, and autumn decor can tie together the elements of a large table setting or banquet area and elevate the atmosphere for the occasion.
3. Winter Wonderland Ball
Bring the magic to your building with this blast-from-the-past celebration you probably haven’t experienced since middle school – a Winter Wonderland Ball! Deck out your common space or amenity area in winter themed decor from lights, to snowflakes, and bring in other ice-themed elements including crystal rock candy, snowcones (and even a snow machine if you’re up for it!) Invite residents to join in formal attire with a plus-one. Be sure to include awards for best-dressed, most-festive, cutest couple, and best solo appearance! A red-carpet entrance and professional photographer can also take this event to top-tier and give residents a memorable keepsake to remind them of the special evening for time to come.
4. Pet Photos With Santa
Pet Photos with Santa can be a special way for residents to celebrate their furry friends and capture a sweet (or comical!) memory to cherish all season long. Pet Photos with Santa also make the perfect photo for your residents to include in their holiday greeting cards!
5. Holiday Cards Decorating Social
In classic old-fashioned fun, a holiday cards decorating social gives residents a purpose to tap into their crafty side and as an added-bonus, create a special decorated greeting they can use to send to all their loved ones for the season! Your local art supply or craft store is the perfect location to scout a guide who can come to your property and conduct the experience from start to finish with your residents.
6. Christmas Cookie Baking Class
This family-friendly occasion can be arranged virtually or onsite! Kids will love an opportunity to decorate gingerbread men and women, and adults can get ahead of all their holiday baking while having a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of the season with a light hearted neighborly gathering.
7. Gingerbread Making Workshop
Another perfect family-friendly resident event idea for the holidays is a Gingerbread house making workshop! This event is also perfect to host virtually or on-site, and all ages will love the nostalgia of assembling their very own cookie home to display all season long or to to give as a gift.
8. Popup Winter Fitness Class
The holidays are the easiest time to slack off on nutrition. Give your residents a chance to recover from post-Thanksgiving and holiday party indulgences with a one-hour sweat-inducing, calorie-burning, social fitness class. Social fitness classes are a great way to merge pleasure and fitness with an interactive group fitness class such as HIIT, Bootcamp or Power Yoga, followed by a catered breakfast, a quick grab-and-go, or even a speaking engagement from a local dietician or nutritionist to help people kickstart healthy habits and get in a positive mindset ahead of the new year.
9. S’mores Social
Residents can enjoy making their own s’mores on site with portable burners with the oversight and guidance of an event hostess or in your communities grilling area. To make this event sure to delight all taste preferences, be sure to consider a variety of different flavors across all components. For instance, you might opt for cinnamon, chocolate, classic, and gluten-free graham crackers, as well as white, dark, milk, and caramel chocolate options, along with varieties of fruit for extra layering.
10. Spiked Hot Cocoa Bar
11. Pie Making Cooking Demonstration and Class
12. Cider Tasting
Forget a trip to the apple orchard! Bring the apple picking celebrations to your building. Autumn is the season for apple picking and late Fall into Winter pave way for every way to enjoy them! Cider tasting provides an interactive experience to unite residents around the common appreciation and love for apple and fall-forward tastes that celebrate the season and bring an element of nature and home into your building.
13. DIY Holiday Wreath Making
Wreath making workshops and DIY Wreath Making Classes are an interactive virtual an on-site event to help residents style and craft their very own Holiday wreaths! Wreaths are not only fun to make, but can also opt as the perfect handmade, unique gift perfect to knock one more thing off your residents’ to-do-lists. This fun and festive event can offer a variety of floral, festive, and natural decor components and strategies for building the foundations for wreath-making across all seasons to allow for upmost customization and a truly rewarding resident experience that will leave lasting memories.
