At Hayes Park, we’re always cooking up ways to keep our residents engaged and smiling and our homemade Wagon Wheel session did just that! With digestive biscuits, fluffy marshmallows, and plenty of melted chocolate, our residents enjoyed a hands-on afternoon of sweet creativity.

There was lots of laughter, a few sticky fingers, and unsurprisingly a suspiciously quick disappearance of marshmallows. (We won’t name names… but let’s just say they were here today, s’more-rowed away! 😉)

 

The Power of Food-Based Activities

Making treats together is more than just fun, it’s deeply beneficial to the elderly and those with dementia:

• Sensory Stimulation: Engaging the senses through smell, touch, and taste helps keep the mind active and enhances enjoyment.
• Cognitive Benefits for Dementia: For those living with dementia, familiar tasks like spreading, layering, and decorating can boost confidence, spark positive memories, and encourage calm, focused participation.
• Social Connection: Activities like this bring people together, sparking conversations, laughter, and a strong sense of community.
• Sense of Purpose: Completing a creative task gives residents a meaningful sense of achievement, especially when they get to enjoy the results!

Our Wagon Wheel session was a chocolatey success and a lovely reminder of the simple joys that shared experiences can bring.