Fun learning activities for adults with learning disabilities?

Fun learning activities for adults with learning disabilities may include the Happiness Programme, an interactive light projector that has many different games and activities, many of which can be used for learning.

Not a member of the Happiness Programme?

The Happiness Programme is a first-of-its-kind initiative helping to change the lives of people living with cognitive challenges. We use interactive light technology to provide meaningful activities for residents and patients in care homes and care settings. For more detail on what the Happiness Programme is and how it’s helping care venues across the UK, visit our getting started page.

Alternatively, jump to our dementia, learning disability and NHS pages for more specific detail on how it’s helping care homes like Barchester and HC-One as well as hospitals and local authorities such as St George’s Hospital, London and Westminster and South Kensington Council.

For anything else, you can contact us here too.

We have put together 11 prop ideas for your dementia care sessions with the magic table 360. We hope to maximise your use by making each session as person-centred as possible in order to spark happiness and laughter among residents. To enhance your interaction with the magic table 360, check out our best prop ideas below:

Adding sensory props

Amazon Alexa

Many of our games can be made even more meaningful with the use of an Alexa, or a Spotify playlist. Select songs that match the theme of a session for a more immersive experience. A seaside song can easily transform a game of Boing or Bubbles. A countdown theme tune can enhance a game of Word Spell. The possibilities are endless.

You can find an Alexa Speaker for £39.99 at Amazon.

Feathers

A gentle prop to encourage soft and mindful movements and interaction. This can be used in a fun and creative way to boost engagement. Use a single feather or feather duster to reach leaves, complete paintings or even pop balloons.

You can find these for £2.99 at Amazon.

A glass bowl or water tray

To add another layer of excitement to Fish games, introduce a glass bowl or water tray. Players can dip their hands in the water and the fish will be attracted to the movements. This makes the game more realistic and provides a great bridge between resident and nature.

You can find a water tray for £15.73 at Amazon.

Adding physical props

A soft ball

This can be used effectively with games like Leaves, and Bubbles, Piano and Balloon Pop. Roll the ball over the table for a hand-eye co-ordination challenge and to spark interaction.

You can find these for £7.99 at Amazon.

Ping Pong racquets

If you have a set handy, ping pong racquets can enhance reach and playability in games like Boing. It can make the game more meaningful for sports enthusiasts, except this time, the balls don’t go missing!

You can find this Ping-Pong racquet set for £8.42 at Amazon.

Introduce the real thing

Use the games to find out what interests the residents and gather props to aid their play. If someone reveals their favourite flower in the flowers game, you could try bringing some real flowers in and pass them around to players. In a game of football, why not bring a ball to have a gentle seated kick-about. To set the mood, bring some balloons to decorate when playing Balloon Pop. All of these things can help create an immersive experience with the residents.

A lightweight magnifying glass

Use this simple prop to aid the reach of players. It’s a great tool to use in games like Word Search. It can even add the benefit of enlarging letters for more visually impaired players.

Real coins and bank-notes

This can be a great addition for the Piggy Bank game. It can inspire all sorts of conversation, matching the coins in the game to those in real life. You could try to perform some fun and basic sums with the combination of real coins and projected coins. The options are almost limitless. Plus, ‘Money, Money, Money’ by ABBA is a must-have for the music playlist.

Adding comfort props

Comfy chairs and blankets

Make the seating areas as comfortable as possible. Offer a blanket for someone’s lap, or a cushion behind their back. You could elevate their position to make engagement much easier for the player. Adapt the arrangements for the needs to each player and be responsive to their preferences.

You can find this blanket for £14.99 at Amazon.

Refreshments

Introducing free access to hydrating snacks will make people feel more relaxed while playing with the magic table 360. This is especially important for those extra-long play sessions. You could even have some fun with it and theme the refreshments around the activities. Fruit could make a great addition to the Garden game. Jelly could inspire a retro birthday party theme for Balloon Pop. You could even add some orange slices for football half-time!

Soft toys and therapy dolls

With a little encouragement, all can join the fun of playing with the magic table 360. Players can line up the cats to watch a fish-pond. They could use their therapy dolls to help touch the flowers. Most importantly, enter your resident’s worlds and let them lead the sessions in a way that makes them feel comfortable.