SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY

Summer Time Fun 

Make the living a little easier for your residents this summer.  Create a community summer camp atmosphere. No, we are not promoting turning your staff into crazy camp counselors, however, we are promoting the following ideas for summer activities:

• Have you ever tried  outdoor (or indoor) movie nights?  Set up an old fashioned movie screen or hang a sheet in a common area, borrow or rent a projector and show old and new movies.  Your community can provide the popcorn and non-alcoholic beverages. 

• You know how good an outdoor BBQ smells and nothing will bring people together outside like a good old fashioned BBQ.  Host a cook off and recipe swap or have the community provide the meat and cooking and let residents do a pot luck for sides.

• Stock up on popsicles and let the staff hand them out by the pool at random times.

• Host a real lemonade stand but make it free to all residents.

• Provide a cold "on the go" breakfast of juice/yogurt/breakfast bars at the entrance/exit to your community early one morning to all residents leaving for work.

• Events - Hand out flyers or provide a newsletter with a calendar of community and local summer events to include games, concerts, street fairs, carnivals, etc.

• Pets - Offer resources on keeping pets healthy with advice from a local vet.  Organize a pet costume parade.  Host a pet photo session by bringing in a professional photographer to do portrait type photos of pets with their owners.  Provide dog "booties" in different sizes to protect little paws from the hot sidewalks and asphalt.

• Gardening - Planting becomes more popular in the warmer months so why not host an event for your residents by inviting a local nursery to discuss container gardening.  Use potted plants and flowers for door prizes.  It may be a good time to brighten up the area around the office and common areas with some too!

• Safety - Lean on your local police and fire departments to provide speakers for resident events focusing on tips for home and personal safety.  Consider hosting a CPR class.  Stress pool safety.  Promote "if you see something, say something".

• Recycling - If your community does not have a recycling program, start one.

• Energy Saving - Schedule maintenance teams to perform HVAC filter changes and while they are inside each home also check for leaky faucets and running toilets. 

• Activities for Children – Most littles are out of school for the summer and have places to go and people to be with during the week, but what about the weekends?  Consider bringing in an activities director on Saturday afternoons to host story time, movie time, coloring contests, simple art projects.  Provide juice and snacks.