Activity Title 2: Wreath Puzzle Ornaments

Source:
Miller, D. (1999, November 25). Wreath Puzzle Ornament. Retrieved November
15,
2015, from http://www.recreationtherapy.com/tx/txdec.htm
Equipment: Green construction paper, pencil, scissors, puzzle pieces, tacky
glue, green spray paint, newspaper, thin red ribbon, and decorative string.
Description of Activity:
The therapist will begin by explaining to the participants that Christmas is
coming up and because it will be Christmas soon they will be making a wreath
ornaments. Before beginning the activity, the therapist will explain to participants
what a wreath and ornaments are. He/She will pass out green construction
paper, pencils and scissors. The participants will cut a circle from the green
construction paper that measures approximately 3 in diameter. They will then cut
the middle out of the circle to leave a wreath-like ring. The therapist will pick up
the materials and pass out glue and puzzle pieces. The participants will take the
puzzle pieces and begin to glue them onto the construction paper facing side up.
Glue 2 more layers of puzzle pieces, staggering the layers. The participants will
spray the wreath with green spray paint. While the paint is drying make bows
from the red ribbon. Then, participants will glue the ribbon to the front of the
wreath and glue the decorative string to the back so it can be hung from the tree.
Now participants will have a beautiful handmade ornament for their Christmas
tree. Some participants may want to place ornaments inside the class, which
ever is fine. Once all the participants are done the participants will get together
and discuss the activity and view all the different wreath ornaments together. The
therapist will ask participants what they found difficult and/or easy from the
activity. The other discussion question will be chosen based on participants
needs and interests.
Leadership considerations:
This activity is best performed in groups of 8-15 participants per session.
The best environment for this activity is an outdoor setting because of the spray
paint. When using spray paint people need to be careful because the paint can
spread and get attached to surrounding objects that are not the wreath. The
therapist in the beginning of the activity is moderator because he/she will be
explaining the activity and what a wreath and ornaments are. Once everyone has
settled down, the therapist will pass out the materials and guide participants on
what to do with the materials. When the therapist sees that everyone has
understood what to do, he/she will supervise the participants during this part of
the activity. As the therapist continues to assist the participants, he/she will
provide extra assistance when it comes to spray painting due to the fact that if
the participant aim incorrectly, it can cause a really mess. Once everyone has
completed their wreath ornament, they will allow it to dry. During this period that
the ornaments are drying, the therapist will lead a discussion about the activity.

She/he will develop questions about the activity based on the participants needs
and interests. Some safety hazards that they therapist need to be aware of are
the usage of scissors, glue, spray paint and the puzzle pieces. The therapist is to
tell participants that the scissors can be dangerous if used incorrectly. The
therapist will demonstrate to the participants how to use them correctly. The
therapist will do the same for the glue and the spray paint. She/he will also tell
participants thats the glue and puzzle piece are not to go into their both because
they cannot be eaten. After they explain these circumstances, the therapist must
still keep an eye out for the participants that may not decide to follow directions.
Adaptations:
*Participants with Intellectual Disability:
These participants are characterized by significantly sub-average general
intellectual functioning, concurrent impairments in at least two adaptive skill
areas and it tends to occur before the age of 18 (Datillo, 2012). Remembering
simple instructions for these participants can be very difficult because of their
limitations in intellectual functioning that includes difficulties with memory recall,
task and skill generalization (Intellectual Disabilities, n.d.). To facilitate
remembering the instructions the therapist will have printed out step-by-step
images of what to do. Displaying words only can take these participants longer to
read. Once the instructions are displayed, this does not mean that the
participants will complete the activity at an average time. They still need to
process the activity and figure out the materials needed. These participants
understand how to do things, it is just they require more time to really grasp the
concept they are required to get. To avoid stress for the participants, allow them
extra time to complete the activity (Intellectual Disabilities, 2014). Make sure to
praise the participants on their ornaments, focusing on the positive of the
participants and concentrating on their best abilities and potentials (Datillo,
2012).
*Participants with Vision Loss:
When participants are referred to as blind, it usually means that person
has no usable sight. During the activity it is important that the therapist
communicates with the participants. The therapist should always ask what they
could do to accommodate their needs (Datillo, 2012). Nobody knows better than
the participants themselves. In the room the lighting should be adjusted to
minimize the negative impact of their visual impairment (Willings, 2015). To
complete the activity, participants should be paired up, one person with visual
loss and the other one with vision. The person with vision will be able to guide
the visual loss person to gathering materials and to actually completing the
ornaments. This action of working together is known as sighted guiding and it will
also allow participants to increase their communication skills (Datillo, 2012).
Instead of just providing oral instructions, allow visual loss participants to feel and
model of a complete wreath ornament and always make sure that the oral
instructions are very clear and detailed. A therapist needs to ask the participant to
please pass the scissors to the right side, they cannot say to just pass it over
there (Accommodation and Modifications, n.d.).

Adaptations References
Accommodations and Modifications at a Glance: Educational Accommodations
for
Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. (n.d.). Retrieved November
15, 2015, from http://www.afb.org/info/programs-andservices/professional-development/experts-guide/accommodations-andmodifications-at-a-glance/1235#instruction.
Dattilo, J. (2012). Learn About People, Inclusion, and Disability. In Inclusive
Leisure
Services (Third ed., pp. 385-485). State College, PA: Venture Publishing.
Intellectual Disabilities (formerly Mental Retardation). (2014, October 3).
Retrieved
November 7, 2015, from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/teac
hing/Disabilities/Services to Children with Disabilities/Disabilit
ies/disabl_fts_00014_061105.html.
Intellectual Disabilities. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2015, from
http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/intellectual-disabilities/
Willings, C. (2015, November 17). Environmental Adaptations. Retrieved from
http://www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/environmental-adaptations.html.