This is mainly a discussion based CST activities page, with some entertainment and quiz aspects included to make it more interactive. Steve Jobs, then Apple CEO, launched the iPhone in 2007. Since then smartphones have come to play an important part in most of our lives. Ask members to discuss the pros and cons of smartphones. But before that, ask who has got one in their pocket? Pros: Less resources used, as most things can be done on our smartphone. Less paper used, as most communication is now online. Ease of access to a world of information; it's in our pocket. Cons: We are fo ..read more

'National Piñata Day' is observed on 18th April each year. No one on this planet doesn’t love candy. You don’t have to stop at just one sweet; instead, go ahead and shatter a colorful candy container known as a piñata to get as much candy as possible. Those who haven’t yet attempted to open a paper-mâché donkey may do so on this 'National Piñata Day'. This CST activities page takes the opportunity to celebrate Mexico and South America generally. It looks at famous people, native animals, food and drink and music from the area. Begin the session by asking members who has visited Mexico ..read more

This short dementia friendly quiz aims to celebrate the place of VoiceOvers in our TV and movies. Have you ever watched an animated television programme or movie and thought "I know that voice!", but then can't place it. Well that is (sort of) what we are doing here. To begin with, there are two sets of pictures, i. the character and ii. the VoiceOver actor. The idea is to match them up, either by visual recognition or by name, or both. See how you get on. As usual, this is just for fun and not intended to be competitive. Rather it's a tool for reminiscence and discussion, "Oh yes, I rem ..read more

It is 'World Poetry Day' on 21st March. This brief CST activity aims to celebrate some of the best poets and poems that have elevated our cultural lives in the same way as other creative art forms such as music, dance, theatre and art. Many older people, including me, will have learned several of the most famous poems in school by rote and they may still be held in long-term memory. Others may enjoy listening to poems well read and be able to follow the printed text. For those with more language difficulties, some of the video links with visual depictions may be more enjoyable. Please remembe ..read more

Here is another Dementia Cafe Quiz. The idea is to celebrate some of the best movies starring children and hit songs sung by children. A Spotify playlist is provided to promote musical memory recall (you might also like to link to some YouTube clips). You could begin the session by asking members to comment on what might be the pros and cons of being a child star? You could also link this discussion to personal lived experience by asking, for example, if any members had any talents as a child, such as singing, playing an instrument or winning a sporting medal. Round 1. Name the movies starrin ..read more

Here is another CST activities page celebrating the beauty of the South West of England. 'Somerset Day' is on 11th May and 'Devon Day' is on 4th June, which is also 'St Petroc's Day'. (There is a separate page on Cornwall here - https://www.simondementia.co.uk/single-post/celebrating-cornwall-on-saint-piran-s-day-5th-march ) You could begin the session by asking who has stayed in Somerset or Devon for a holiday? Where did they stay? What places did they visit? What are the best things about Somerset and Devon? Answers could include: The lovely people The sea & beaches The beautiful villa ..read more

“To be born in Wales, not with a silver spoon in your mouth, but with music in your blood and with poetry in your soul, is a privilege indeed.” Brian Harris Welcome to this week's CST 'Saint David's Day' activities page, celebrating all things Welsh. To begin, ask members what they like or love about Wales and the Welsh. Who was born and bred here? Are there any stories about growing up in Wales? Has anyone a favourite place in Wales they would recommend others to visit? What is Wales most famous for? It's mountains, countryside, castles, beaches, it's food or language? Has anyone got a favou ..read more

Here is another short Dementia Cafe Quiz. Ask members to see how many logos they recognise and can put a name to. If members get stuck on a word, ask them to say where they might see the label, e.g. on a coffee cup or on a t-shirt. Take time to discuss products and for reminiscence. Here goes ... Can anyone think of any more logos to add? Please do let me know. Blue Nun KFC Ovaltine Pepsi Wrights Coal Tar Soap Homepride Shell Pilsbury Coleman's Mustard Superman Apple Dog's Trust Players Navy Cut Babycham Heinz Starbucks Batman Bic World Wildlife Fund Facebook Children In Need (Pudsy) Britis ..read more

Using the Spotify playlist below, ask members to identify the Classic Duet, including artists and song titles. Play the first few bars, or as much of the song as you like, and use the pictures as visual prompts to help with recognition. Have the "pause" button ready to hand if any member/s raise their hand to say they want to listen to the full song. You could also cross to Spotify to play the relevant videos of the songs they choose to listen to in full. Here goes ... Clues ... The song has the name of a European city in its title. This was also the title of their last album together. This ..read more

Here is a picture quiz either for 'Valentine's Day' on 14th February or for 'World Kiss Day' on 6th July. Ask members to simply look at each picture of iconic kisses from classic movies and name the movie. (They are in chronological order.) Instead of answers, underneath I have included the movie poster and links to some favourite songs from those movies. Hope your group enjoys this one. Please do let me know in the comments at the footer of the page. As usual, allow time for discussion about favourite movie moments and reminiscences. NB Another way of using this CST activities page would be ..read more