Submitted by Joleen Linn, Therapy Resource, Wisconsin
From August 31 to September 4, The Pines Post-Acute & Memory Care in Clintonville, Wisconsin, decided to bring the fair to our facility. During COVID-19, the residents in our building have been having a hard time not seeing family or friends, or joining the community’s fun events that have been canceled due to the pandemic. With a few good ideas and some event planning, we decided to make The Pines into a fair. Who doesn’t love games, prizes and delicious food? Each day throughout the week, we planned a special day for each and every resident and staff member to make their day a little brighter.
Bringing the fair to The Pines Post-Acute & Memory Care has given us the biggest smiles throughout the week. We are very grateful for everyone who helped us in preparing for this week. We all know this year hasn’t been easy due to COVID, but there’s always some way to make their days a little brighter.
Day 1: Polka music, sun drop slushies, cheese curds
Roger Hartwig played music outside for everyone. He sang and played polka music with his accordion. Many of the residents sang along, danced and enjoyed the classic songs. Along with the music, the management team passed out sun drop slushies, cheese curds, onion rings, French fries and pickle pucks for everyone. We really wanted everyone to feel like they were at the fair.
Day 2: Bingo, bean bag toss and mini corn dogs 
Today we had games spread out all over the building for residents to participate in and win prizes. One of the games the residents really enjoyed was playing bag toss. As the residents threw the bags through the holes, they got a chance to pick any prize they wanted out of the box. It consisted of calendars, candy and sweets, coloring books, stuffed animals and much more!
Day 3: Petting zoo with horses, dogs and goats
Day three was one of the most exciting days for our staff and our residents. We had horses, goats and a few dogs for everyone to see and pet. First came the horses: Prima the brown horse and Mister the white one. Then we had Luna the rodeo dog and the goats!
Day 4: Cream puffs and indoor games
Homemade cream puffs by The Pines activities director Kim! She made over 60 homemade cream puffs for all the residents and the staff. We had many games, including tip the pyramid, bag toss, plinko and pick a duck!
Day 5: Water Balloons, burger cookout and ice cream bars
Our last day, we had a cookout outside, including burgers and ice cream bars for all the staff and residents for lunch. We also had water balloons for a little bit of fun!