Caila McElwee

Activity Plan 1
Activity:
Pumpkin Race & Decorate

Sources:

Aging and down syndrome. National Down syndrome Society. (2013).

https://www.ndss.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Aging-and-Down-Syndrome.pdf

Buckley, S. (2005) Creative arts, imagination and expression - An important way of being,
sharing and feeling?
https://library.down-syndrome.org/en-us/news-update/04/3/creative-arts-imagination-expression-
important-way-being-sharing-feeling

Carving & Decorating Pumpkins: 5 benefits for your child: Sunshine house. Sunshine House
Early Learning Academy. (2021).

https://sunshinehouse.com/blog/carving-decorating-pumpkins-5-benefits-for-your-child/.

Staff, F. E. (2019, November 19). Down syndrome. familydoctor.org.

https://familydoctor.org/condition/down-syndrome/.

Equipment needed:
For this activity equipment needed
-buckets
-material to create a “obstacles/maze” (sticks, pool noodles etc.)
-any arts and crafts supplies (paint, beads, feathers, glitter). As well as
-scissors, tape, glue, and paint brushes.
-An empty space to decorate such as table or desk.
-Pumpkins (real or plastic)

Activity Description:
This activity of Pumpkin Race & Decorating is a fun activity everyone can enjoy around this
time of year. You will be able to get physical and get through the maze/obstacles course , and
then be as creative as you would like and decorate your pumpkin in whatever way you would
like with the materials we have!

1. First you want to have participants line up and explain the direction of the obstacles
course.
2. Second you want to tell everyone that when you say “go” they will race to the pile of
pumpkins at the end.
3. Once the participants complete the race, they will pick the pumpkin they want and return
to the area to decorate
4. You then want to put that pumpkin along with all the materials you are going to decorate
with, down on your table.
5. Start decorating! Use the paint brushes to paint on your pumpkin or use the glue to
decorate with things such as glitter or beads.
6. The only rules are to not start the race until the leader says go, as well as being fair.

Primary Social Interaction Patterns:

This activity was chosen because I thought about an activity that expresses creativity, as well as
gets you moving. This activity can also be beneficial to cognitive skills because you are using
your mind to get through the obstacles. By doing the race the participants can get some exercise
which can be healthy for anyone. The decorating after gives participants a chance to calm down
their heart rate and ease their mind into something much mor relaxing. Crafting is none to be a
stress reliever and allows for social interacting and conversation with other participants. This is
both aggregate activity and an extra individual activity because everyone is directing their action
towards an object (the pumpkin) in company of others during the race, but when decorating it
doesn’t require any other people.

Adaption:
Participant:
45-year-old man with Down Syndrome– Moderate cognitive impairment, heart defect, and
obesity

The adaption to this activity to suit the participant given would be to not make race with any type
of time limit and lower the difficult of the obstacle course. I may even not call the maze a “race”
so that the participant can feel as though he can take his time. I would also possible completely
modify the obstacle course because due to the participant obesity and heart defect, I wouldn’t
want him to do something that he would feel uncomfortable doing (example remove a tunnel or
ladder because the participant may find it hard to crawl under or over something). Second, due to
the participants cognitive impairment I would make the obstacle course extremely simple but
still in a “maze” form. I would aid to the participant if needed.