All about props!

Props are a great way for players of the magic table 360 to get more out of activity sessions by enhancing sensory stimulation and extending reach. We believe that props are a great way to develop your person-centred care, so we have put together a bunch of resources to help you get started on your prop journey. Props can allow you to tailor each Happiness Programme session for the resident playing, and create a personalised experience based on each person’s needs.

To kick off, we have put together this short article to guide your prop use so that you can get the most out of your Happiness Programme sessions.

What is prop use?

Props are anything you bring along to take your Happiness Programme sessions to the next level. This can be anything from a paintbrush, to enhance Paint a Picture sessions, to music, to make a game of Sweetshop feel a bit more nostalgic. However you decide to use props, the most important thing is that they are meaningful, engaging and above all else, a bit of fun!

We have created this short video explaining the benefits of using props in your Happiness Programme sessions, which you can view below:

Why use Props?

Props can be a great way to diversify and create some interesting and new experiences for your residents using the magic table 360. Check out the full list of benefits below:

• Props can make sessions adaptable for different and varied physical/sensory profiles.
• Extended reach offers extra space to get more players involved.
• Create fun, joyful and immersive experiences.
• Encourage participation and interaction with different props.
• Creates intuitive cues for participation.
• Allows for completely new shared experiences.
• Adds multi-sensory options.
• Introduces gentle or energetic movement cues based on your resident’s preferences.
• Gives the table and light a less direct feel.
• Allows you to create mini-games to introduce some light competition or flair to existing games.

What props can you use?

There are many props that you can use to develop your Happiness Programme sessions. We have put together this list jam packed with prop ideas for you to include in your next session, which you can read here.

If you’d like to see some of these props in action, you can check out the second part of our props webinar here:

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.