“Dear Jan,
We have many residents in our care setting who are big fans of the royal family. We used to always hold a celebratory tea party on the Queen’s birthday, and I’d like to start a tradition for King Charles’ birthday too. Do you have any ideas for how to mark this special occasion?
Many thanks, Gabriel”
Hi Gabriel,
That’s a lovely idea. It is probably a bit soon after the death of the Queen to hold an all-bells-and-whistles royal celebration. However, there are plenty of ways to make it a special day.
Here are my activity ideas. I hope you find some of them useful.
- Make a timeline of Charles’ life, from his birth through to the present day. Use newspaper cuttings and photos to make an accompanying collage.
- Design your own five pound notes or commemorative coins. Who would you feature as the face? What would your motto be?
- Discuss royal warrants. How many companies can your residents think of that have gained a royal warrant over the years? Are there any companies that you feel should have a royal warrant but don’t?
- Make a castle birthday cake for teatime. Ask your kitchen team to bake you a base, or use a shop-bought one. Decorate it with icing and make turrets out of ice cream cones. Involve residents in decorating the cake with midget gems, iced gems and chocolate buttons.
- Enjoy reading The Old Man of Lochnager, the book written by King Charles and illustrated by Sir Hugh Casson. Invite residents to read sections aloud, or simply to listen and enjoy the illustrations.
- Inspired by one of His Majesty’s favourite pastimes, hold a gardening session. Plant out daffodils and tulips in your garden, or sow poinsettia seeds, so you have beautiful blooms to enjoy around Christmastime.
Best wishes,
Jan
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