Social-Based Brain Training Programs and Courses for Professionals in Active Aging and Fitness Settings
SOCIAL PLAY – 1 Hour Class
Provides a chance for students to practice “social attention” and get to know each other better.
TRAINER OVERVIEW
- TBH Social Play cards
- TBH Social Play slides (optional)
- Class 2 TBH Take This Home cards, enough for each student. Distribute to distance learners ahead of class
- Video conferencing technology if modifying for virtual delivery
WELCOME TO CLASS
- Welcome everyone.
- Introduce the class topic.
Welcome to today’s class! Our topic is “Social Play.”
Our TBH Blueprint focus is the “Socialize” action point.
Memory loss can sometimes make it harder to maintain the communication skills important to staying social. Today we’ll learn ways to keep working out those skills so we can all stay more connected.
We will be working on the following thinking skills today:
- Coordination
- Attention
- Visual Skills
- Memory
- Executive Control
Refer to the Welcome to the TBH Course for a more complete introduction.
TBH LET'S GET IT STARTED
- Get everyone ready to learn with this seated toes-to-top
warmup. - Use the TBH music to set your pace, or choose your own.
We are going to start with a great warm-up for our bodies and brains called TBH Let’s Get It Started.
It is a wonderful way to get us ready to focus and learn together. We’ll do this right at our seats at the beginning of every class. Just watch what I do and follow along!
(At end of warmup) Great job, everyone! We are started up and ready to go!
FEET GET STARTED!
- Tap toes on both feet, up and down. 10 repetitions. Count together 1 to 10.
- Alternate toe taps. 10 repetitions. Count together using the alphabet A to J.
LEGS GET STARTED!
- Stamp feet on the ground, alternating feet. Make “noise” with group.
- Gently kick legs out from the knee, alternating legs. 10 repetitions. Count together from A to J.
- March in place, alternating legs. 10 repetitions. If your class is physically able to march in place safely while standing, you may choose that option. Count together from 1 to 10.
ARMS GET STARTED!
- Gently shake arms, open and close hands.
- Circle wrists a few times in clockwise and counterclockwise.
- Hold arms straight out in front, shoulder level, palms facing down. Slowly lower both hands to thighs and then raise them back to shoulder level. 5 repetitions. Count from 1 to 5.
- Shrug shoulders up and down, with hands on knees. 5 repetitions. Count from A to E.
VOICES GET STARTED!
- Say “OHHHHHHHHHH.” Have group say sound with you. Hold for a few seconds.
- Say “EHHHHHHHHHH.” Have group say sound with you. Hold for a few seconds.
- Say “AHHHHHHHHHH.” Have group say sound with you. Hold for a few seconds.
- Say “OH – EH – AH.” Hold each sound for a few seconds. 3 repetitions.
BREATH GETS STARTED!
- Slow focus to bring awareness to sitting still in chair.
- Take a deep breath in through the nose.
- Exhale out through the mouth.
- Give selves big hug, wrapping arms across waist and squeezing gently, as able.
- Thank selves and send some “TBH love” to our brains!
Click to open the TBH Let’s Get It Started! playlist.
Click for the TBH Let’s Get It Started! complete guide.
LEARN THE TBH SCIENCE
Present the science behind the class.- Allow for brief discussion of the science with your students.
Let’s move to today’s topic, “Social Play.” Spending time with others, whether in person or at a physical distance, is important to our overall well-being. Research shows that we are more likely to do things that keep our brains healthy – like exercising, attending concerts, taking classes or traveling – when we have company. This is especially important when we are living with dementia. The company of others makes it more likely we will continue to do things that give us the cognitive stimulation we need to keep our thinking challenged.
In addition, being together gives us a great chance to work out important everyday thinking skills like attention, nimbleness and memory. You can’t have a conversation without using those skills! Finally, staying social is a great mood booster. We are more likely to feel lonely or blue if we are isolated.
All around, making sure we stay social is a very important step everyone can take to stay healthy and well. One way we can make sure we stay social is to practice our communication skills. Those communication skills can be affected by memory loss, so it is even more important that we learn ways to target and work out those skills when living with dementia.
NOW DO IT!
Have students practice communication skills.- Adapt as needed to include everyone as they are able.
We’re going to give our communication skills a workout with this next exercise. It’s called “Social Play.” I have a special deck of cards (or slides if using) here. Each card (slide) has a question that will help us get to know each other. I’ll read the question out loud. Then I’ll show you a picture that’s on the card (slide). I’ll also write the question here (point to white board or flip chart) so everyone can see it. Then we’ll take turns saying what the question makes us think about. Does everyone understand? Great! Here’s the first question.
(At end of workout) Fantastic job, everyone! It was fun to learn more about each other, wasn’t it? And communicating with each other in conversation is a great way to keep our brains healthy.
- Lead your class in this workout to personalize their learning of the science.
- Use the Class 2 TBH Social Play cards/slides.
- Lead a discussion with your class around the question prompt on the card/slide, one at a time.
- Read your class the question on the card aloud and share the picture on the card/slide. You can also write the question on a white board/flip chart.
- Encourage students to answer and respond to each other and engage in conversation together. When responses peter out, end by asking if anyone has a final thought before you move to the next card/slide.
- Use as many of the cards/slides to prompt conversation as time allows.
- Make It Harder. Break class into pairs. Give each pair a TBH Social Play card to use for discussion. Next, have pairs share how they and their partner responded to their questions.
- Make It Easier. In addition to the card prompts, open the group discussion to include anything that allows students to get to know each other better. Focus on the images on the cards/slides to prompt discussion rather than the questions.
- One-to-One Delivery. Use the TBH Social Play card deck, discussing the question and picture prompt together for each card, as time allows. Make up questions to ask each other. Record or write down your student’s answers to share with their family.
- Virtual Delivery. Share the TBH Social Play slides using your video conference technology, one at a time. Encourage distance learners to participate by inviting them by name to join in.
TBH TAKEAWAY
Share this brief wrap-up to end the workout.- Distribute the TBH Take This Home card for this class.
- Ask students to share how they feel after today’s class
That was wonderful, we learned some really interesting things about each other. And we learned why it’s important to spend time with other people every day. Talking, visiting or learning together are all great ways to keep our brains healthy, whether we are physically together, on the phone or meeting over video. Try and find time to get together with others throughout the week. Adding even just a bit more social time to your routine can be a wonderful way to boost your brain health and overall well-being.
Here is a TBH Take This Home card for this class. It will remind you what we learned together today and help you keep up this brain workout on your own, with each other or with a family member or friend. It’s easy to do over video as well.
Can you share one thing you learned about someone else in today’s workout?
TBH TAKE A BREATH
- Lead this cooldown exercise to end class.
- Use the TBH music to set your pace, or choose your own.
Let’s wrap up with “TBH Take a Breath.” Being mindful and sharing some positive thoughts gives us a chance to think about what we have learned together and how we can use it in our daily lives. Research shows that mindfulness practices like this supports brain health when living with dementia. And it is a wonderful way to end our time in class together.
- Have students get comfortable, resting both feet flat on the floor, hands resting in their laps.
- Have students close their eyes and keep them gently closed.
- Ask students to focus their attention on their breathing, noticing the rate and rhythm of their breath. Allow them to focus on their natural breathing for a few moments.
- Instruct students to begin rhythmic breathing. Ask them to inhale slowly and deeply through their nostrils, breathing gently into their chest and belly. Then ask them to exhale slowly through their lips, slowing the rate and rhythm of their breath.
- Have students continue rhythmic breathing, instructing them to continue to focus on gently and slowly inhaling and exhaling, allowing their attention to simply “ride” the wave of their breath. Allow them to focus on rhythmic breathing for several moments.
- Offer the following positive affirmation statements below in a calm, slow voice. Invite students to simply listen, repeat the phrase silently to themselves, or to think about what each statement means to them.
My body is relaxed.
I am grateful for my family.
I am grateful for my friends.
I am grateful for myself.
- Pause for several moments.
- End the exercise by inviting students to bring their awareness back to the room, gently opening their eyes and becoming more aware of their surroundings.
- Invite them to end practice with gratitude for taking a moment for themselves, for the chance to learn together and connect with each other.
Click for the TBH Take a Breath music playlist.
Click to open the TBH Take A Breath complete guide.
COMING UP NEXT!
- Thank students for attending the class.
- Invite students to join you for the next TBH class.
You all did an amazing job today. I look forward to seeing you for our next Total Brain Health class!
CLASS RESOURCES
TBH TAKEAWAY HANDOUTS
Download and provide your students with the following handouts.
Class 2 TBH Take This Home Cards. Use the Class 2 TBH Take This Home cards for the TBH Takeaway closing activity. Print out enough copies of the cards so that each class member has one to take home. Print the cards two-sided and in color. Cut them apart. If possible, laminate the cards for easier handling and durability. If you’d like, punch a hole in the card and provide a small mountable hook so students can keep the cards in a visible spot at home. If needed, email the cards to distance learners.
OTHER RESOURCES
AARP Foundation Connect 2 Affect Website. This website has a number of resources you can use to combat isolation in your community.
The Brain and Social Connectedness: GCBH Recommendations on Social Engagement and Brain Health. Global Council on Brain Health (2017).
