Activity Blankets

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Some of the main items the children are creating for the Memory Boxes are activity blankets, each group producing one based on their research topic.

Activity blankets are a great way to help jog  memories, focus attention and stimulate the sense, and can provide a welcome relief for patients who become restless as a result of their disease.

The pupils at Ardgowan have used inspiration for their research, presentation boards and collage books to develop designs for the activity blankets, using motifs and textures that are reminiscent of objects, buildings, and tasks from the past.

The T.V., Books and Films group have used a dark brown patterned cotton to mimic the mahogany frame on a 1960s television. The screen has been made from a shiny silver fabric, providing difference in texture and aesthetic, and have used clothes buttons as the control buttons on the T.V., enabling for more tactile interaction.

The Industry group have designed a row of factories and warehouses using fabric with brick patterns, and have also used buttons as decoration to represent the windows. One member of the group has also worked hard to create a pleated section, independent of any help, to add another texture and opportunity for fiddling.

The Toys, Games and Tech group have used a series of zips rising along their activity blanket to mimic the levels on the Donkey Kong arcade game. This is a brilliant piece of original design that will also provide a great level of stimulation for the patients as they can fiddle with the numerous zips, opening and closing them.

By providing the patients with some visual and tactile stimulation which is grounded in heritage, the activity blankets should help to trigger specific memories for the patients, whilst also opening up possibilities for conversation to flow by occupy fidgety fingers.

For more information on activity blankets, visit Nancy Zieman’s blog here