Tiana Harvey

Sock it to me

Source: Dee Mayfield, Certified Dementia Practitioner of Mayfield Health Care Seminars

Equipment: old socks of different colors and small items to put into sock. Items to be placed inside socks
can include: wooden clothes pin, 2 crayons, comb, tennis ball, pacifier, small baby cup, plastic eye
glasses, measuring spoon 1 T size, wooden cooking spoon, etc.

Activity Description:

The game can be played in a variety of different ways. Socks can be open so participants can take items
out after they guess -- or to control the guessing, each sock can be tied into a knot after inserting an
item to be guessed.

1. Each person can be given a different sock/item to guess

2. Then you mix them up and give each person a different sock/item to guess.

OR you can give a sock to the first person and let them make a guess, pass it to the next person and
let them make a guess. After the last person guesses, the facilitator/activity professional re-caps the all
the guesses - then tells what is in the sock. Celebrate successes.

Leadership Considerations:

1. This activity can be used with any population when you change the objects based on the
population so that they will be easily recognized.
2. When working with people with Alzheimers Diseases, improving memory or even just
reminiscence is the focus of the interventions provided. If someone is wrong, encourage them
to try again and give them hints.
3. Another consideration is to not force participation in the activity, patients with any form of
dementia do tend to shut down quickly if pushed.