In 2022, Her Majesty The Queen will become the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. All of your staff and residents should be involved in this momentous occasion.
Here are our suggestions for celebrating Her Majesty’s historic reign on the Platinum Jubilee Weekend, which takes place from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June.
Jubilee Activity Ideas
Refer to your Daily Sparkle Magazine and Activity Bank for Jubilee-themed activity ideas and session plans. These will be suitable to offer both in the lead-up to the event and over the course of the weekend.
In addition to your Daily Sparkle activities, you could do the following with your residents –
- Make and decorate a birthday cake (or individual cupcakes) in honour of the Queen
- Make a sparkly non-alcoholic fruit punch so that you can raise a glass to the Queen and sing Happy Birthday
- Serve Coronation chicken, salad and new potatoes for lunch, followed by trifle.
- Arrange a traditional birthday party themed afternoon, where you play games such as pass the parcel and pin the Crown on the Queen
- Run a chair-based music and movement session, using traditional British songs or marching band music
- Hold a singalong session – print off lyrics to Lavender’s Blue, Dilly Dilly and other popular, royal-themed tunes
- Run a poetry recital, including poems such as They’re Changing Guards At Buckingham Palace
- Blow up red, white and blue balloons for a game of balloon volleyball
- Make memory board or scrapbook with your residents’ memories of meeting or seeing Royalty. Remember to take this round to rooms so that everyone can see it
- Access free activity resources from the official Platinum Jubilee website
Thursday 2nd June
Today (a bank holiday) will witness the Trooping of the Colour, a ceremony performed by regiments of the British Army to mark the Queen’s official birthday. This will be broadcast live by the BBC, so ensure that this is played in a communal space for your residents. It will end with a fly past of Buckingham Palace by the RAF. This event will probably be the most popular activity for your residents today, so aim to arrange other activities around the broadcast.
Plan some simple activity provision for the small number of residents who won’t wish to watch the televised event.
Friday 3rd June
There is a planned service of thanksgiving in St. Pauls cathedral, which will also be televised. You could arrange your own service of thanksgiving. You may wish to involve your local chaplain in this, and see if they will lead a simple service for you at your care home.
Saturday 4th June
The Queen will be at the Derby in Epsom today. Again this will be televised. There is also a concert at the palace planned, but you may wish to record it for residents to enjoy watching at a later date, when there are less activities on offer.
The Derby today offers an opportunity to get the hats out! Perhaps you could also have a go at making fascinators by gluing colourful bows and ribbons on to headbands.
Try to theme activities around horse-racing. You could hold a sweepstake. Print off pictures of horses and famous jackets for residents to enjoy discussing. There may be a keen horse rider within your community, who could bring in horse memorabilia, such as grooming kits, horseshoes and rosettes. Maybe there is someone with a horse locally who would be willing to ride their horse down to the care home.
At tea-time, serve a Derby-themed menu of Aintree Angel Cake, Derby Doughnuts or Stirrup Swiss roll. Use your imagination!
Sunday 5thThe Big Jubilee Lunch
Since the yearly initiative began in 2009, The Big Lunch has encouraged communities to connect. Following th success of the first Big Jubilee Lunch which celebrated Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, The Big Lunch will return again this year as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. This is a great opportunity to invite local community members (covid-permitting) in to your care home to join your residents in a fun, buffet-style lunch. Get out the bunting and flags, play music, and arrange a good, old-fashioned singalong.
Don’t forget that Sunday 5th is also Whit Sunday. Whit (White) Sunday is an important date in the Christian calendar. It falls on the 7th Sunday after Easter. Traditionally, it is marked with fetes or a ‘whit walk’. This year, as it falls on the Jubilee weekend, the nation will already be partaking in a day of celebration.
Download your free The Big Lunch pack here
Remember to look out for special programmes throughout the celebrations that your residents may enjoy. Save the special edition newspapers, magazines and supplements for future discussion groups.
