secret pal

Activity: Secret Pal

Target participant group: People living in residence homes work best for this activity since everyone is there at the site, and also feel the loneliest at times.

Therapeutic potential of this activity: Having people participate in this activity should bring about a feeling of belonging and importance.

What other groups may benefit from this activity?: I can see this activity working good in a work setting also for people that don’t really feel like they belong to anyone or a part of something bigger.

What groups may not be as appropriate for this activity?: Someone who is always going in and out of place and constantly with other people may not benefit from this activity as much. If they are always with someone else then they already feel like they belong and feel important.

Activity description: Pair up associates with residents to be a “secret pal”. Each week the associate would leave something small for the resident or decorate their door, and leave a note saying “from your secret pal”. At the end of the week, throw a party and have each resident learn who their “secret pal” was and have the associate serve refreshment to the resident. Give them time to talk and their week or anything else on the residents mind.

Resources needed: For this activity, it helps to have enough associates for each resident so they don’t have to double up. Small gifts to give to the residents are going to be needed, along with refreshments to give out at the end of the week.

Best leadership style for this activity: Working one on one with each resident works best so that they associate doesn’t get overwhelmed with too many gifts. Try matching up interests of the participants and workers so that they can have greater ideas for the small gifts to give or ideas to throw out there.

Where did you find this activity?: http://www.recreationtherapy.com/tx/txjan.htm is where I found this activity, and I absolutely loved it.

Where can others find more information on this activity? There is a lot of information out there for secret pals, such as gift ideas, and other things you can do. This activity is pretty simple, but other people around you can also help you out along the way.