National Activity Professional Week – 2025
Shaping the Future
By Debbie Hommel, ACC/MC/EDU, CTRS
National Activity Professionals Week, which is January 19th – 25th this year, has always been a week of celebration and acknowledgement of the hard-working activity profession. It is important to salute the tireless efforts of the activity professional.
The National Association for Activity Professionals has defined this year’s theme as “Shaping the Future.” Visit the NAAP site to check out activities for the week.
NAAP has organized a week-long celebration for our profession:
Monday: Scavenger Hunt Day 1.
Share photos on Facebook with #NAPWeek2025 added.
Selfie Monday scavenger hunt items:
- Picture of you in front of your community sign
- Picture of you in front of a stop sign
- Picture of you in front of your local shopping store for work
Tuesday: FREE Webinar with all Alisa Tagg & the NAAP Education Council “Preparing for the Next Generation” at 1:00 PM ET Register HERE
Scavenger Hunt Day 2
Share photos on Facebook with #NAPWeek2025 added.
Tuesday scavenger hunt items:
- Picture with a bingo card
- Picture with a craft project made
- Picture of your storage area
Wednesday FREE Webinar with Alisa Tagg “Shaping the Future of the Activity/Engagement Profession” at 1:00PM ET
Register HERE
Scavenger Hunt Day 3
Share photos on Facebook with #NAPWeek2025 added.
Wednesday scavenger hunt items:
- Picture of a reusable shopping bag.
- Picture of the local newspaper.
- Self-picture with your cup or water bottle.
Thursday: FREE Webinar with Alisa Tagg & the NAAP Advisory Council members “Embracing the Past; Excited for the Future” at 1:00 PM ET Register HERE
Scavenger Hunt Day 4
Share photos on Facebook with #NAPWeek2025 added.
Thursday scavenger hunt items:
- Picture of your Christmas decorations.
- Picture of your activity calendar.
- Picture of hand sanitizer.
Friday: Facebook Live event at 6:30 PM ET – TRIVIA NIGHT
Scavenger Hunt FINAL DAY
Share photos on Facebook with #NAPWeek2025 added. Friday scavenger hunt items:
- Picture of your keys.
- Self-picture with your bus.
- Picture of a to-go menu.
SCAVENGER HUNT WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Free NAAP Memberships
Visit the NAAP website for more information and to register for these events.
Here are some other ideas to celebrate and communicate the value of what we do during NAP Week.
- Create and display a photo gallery of activities and outline their benefits in a common area or thoroughfare.
- Plan an “Activity Open House”. Send out invitations and have display areas set up in your recreation room which emphasizes the value of therapeutic activities. Provide information regarding the benefits of activities and create displays with materials and photographs. Give out promotional items related to NAP Week. Serve refreshments, decorate festively, and have door prizes.
- Find some poems and writings about activities. Many of the activity sites have poems devoted to our work and efforts. Display them in common areas, send them to the families or read them at activity groups.
- Request a Proclamation from the Mayor’s office. The proclamation is often printed with the township seal and looks very official. In some cases, a representative (even the Mayor themselves) may come out to present it to the community. This could be incorporated into a facility-wide party or event. The proclamation can then be framed and displayed. To find out how to get a proclamation in your town, do an internet search for Mayoral Proclamation and your town or county. The township website should direct you to the correct link and suggested verbiage.
- Create a video emphasizing the benefits of each activity. Utilize one of the more popular songs of the day and film residents, staff and families dancing to the music. Have them hold up signs outlining the various benefits of activities. Set the video up in the lobby on continuous play, with a poster, tri-board or printed materials explaining NAP Week. Create posters and signs for display throughout the building.
- Conduct an “Activity Scavenger Hunt” or “Activity Bingo Card”. Create a game card for staff/residents/families to complete certain tasks. To get credit for the tasks, the activity staff needs to authorize the cards. Tasks may include escorting a resident to an activity, having a cup of coffee in the activity room, sitting, and doing a 1-1 activity with a resident and other related, interdisciplinary activity task. After the game cards are completed, they are placed into a drawing. The drawing for a winner may be conducted at a party or reception at the end of the week.
- Conduct an “Activity Trivia Game” which is similar to the scavenger hunt. Trivia questions can be related to your activity program, staff, or the benefits of activities. Again, the completed game sheets are submitted, with possible winners being drawn daily.
- Create an open mural where staff, families and residents can write their thoughts about activities. A large roll/sheet of white paper can be hung on a plain wall, with an attached marker on a string.
- Plan an “Activity Olympics”. Each day of the week can offer various activities related to a particular activity domain. For example, Monday may be “Mental Aerobics Day”; while Tuesday may be “Let’s Get Physical Day”. Each day will focus on the various activities in that domain, with emphasis on the benefits. Interdisciplinary contests and challenges can be integrated into the program plan.
- Celebrate as a department and with your professional peers. Have a luncheon or private celebration for your department.
- 8. Give yourself the gift of professional membership and affiliation. If you are not a member of NAAP (national association) or your local or state activity association – treat yourself to a membership in honor of our week. Membership in professional organizations provides the Activity Professional with education, support, state-of-the-art resources and validation for the work that we do.
Let’s do what we love and do a lot of it.
Marc Jacobs