Announcing Bay Aging’s “Growing Together” Initiative
With all the safety measures we must take during the COVID-19 pandemic, coming up with creative ways to engage with one another can be challenging. Bay Aging volunteers and staff miss our time together with you, so we’ve come up with a fun new initiative called “Growing Together” that we hope you’ll take part in. We encourage you to participate in Growing Together by exercising your green thumb and growing the seed packet we sent into Cosmos, Sunflowers or Zinnias.
Let’s have some fun! As you grow your flowers take a picture and email it to Bay Aging at: growing@bayaging.org
Don’t have a phone that takes pictures or use email? No problem! We’ll ask a Bay Aging volunteer or staff person to take pictures of you and your flowers and post them on Bay Aging’s website and/or Facebook page!
Don’t have a green thumb? No problem! Draw or paint a picture of your favorite summertime scene and we’ll ask a Bay Aging volunteer or staff person to take a picture of your artwork. Just like the pictures of flowers, we’ll post your artwork on Bay Aging’s website and/or Facebook page.
We love you and miss you and hope this opportunity to grow together with your Bay Aging family this summer is lots of fun!
Sincerely,
Your friends at Bay Aging
Monday, May 25 – Happy Memorial Day!
- Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed the last Monday in May. Initially, it meant to commemorate fallen soldiers during the Civil War. In the 1900s, it became a celebration to honor soldiers who died in any war while serving the country and was formerly known as Decoration Day.
- Complete the word search and word scramble (attached #1 and #2)
- Take a tour of the Arlington National Cemetery https://www.arlingtoncemetery.mil/Explore/Monuments-and-Memorials
Tuesday, May 26 – National Cherry Dessert Day
- Try a new cherry desert recipe (attached #3 and #4)
- Burn off the extra calories from that desert with a 360 Virtual Walk of the Cherry Blossoms in DC
Wednesday, May 27 – National Senior Health & Fitness Day
- Visit the National Council of Aging for healthy living tips for seniors
https://www.ncoa.org/healthy-aging/
- Review 4 Types of Foods to Support Memory (attached #5)
- Review Healthy Lifestyles for Healthy Older Adults (attached #6 and #7)
- Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for exercise tips
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/older_adults/index.htm
Thursday, May 28 – International Hamburger Day
- Review 10 Fun Facts About Burgers (attached #8)
- Take a virtual sightseeing tour of the hamburger’s namesake, Hamburg, Germany
Friday, May 29 – Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My!
Observe and enjoy animals from home using these zoo and aquarium live cams.
- The Smithsonian’s National Zoo – Watch giant pandas Tian Tian and Mei Xiang on the zoo’s two Panda Cams. https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/panda-cam?qt-panda_cams=0#qt-panda_cams
- Monterey Bay Aquarium – Choose from 10 live cams, from sea otters to jellyfish. https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams
- San Diego Zoo – Watch a variety of animals, from apes to koalas, penguins to tigers. https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/live-cams
- American Eagle Foundation’s Eagle Cams – Explore the world of Bald Eagles through five different high-definition, live-streaming cameras placed over wild and captive Bald Eagle nests, including a wild pair residing at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. https://www.eagles.org/what-we-do/educate/live-hd-nest-cams/
- Aquarium of the Pacific – View live cams of penguins, sharks and more. Visitors can also connect to a variety of educational resources such as videos, online exhibits and recorded lectures http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/exhibits/webcams
- Enjoy the attached animal adult coloring pages (attached #9-12)
Take exercise classes, reduce stress through meditation, boost your immune system and discover tips to prepare healthy meals – all from the comfort of home.
Staff Picks:
Many arts organizations have made performances free to watch online. Enjoy theater, concerts, opera and dance performances.
Staff Picks:
- Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center – Playlists, livestreams and concerts.
- National Theater – Plays can be watched live every Thursday at 7 p.m. (UK time) or on-demand during the week following the live performance.
- Kennedy Center’s Digital Stage – On-demand performances range from music to dance to theater and more.
- Metropolitan Opera – Free recorded performances.
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – For a limited time, Alvin Ailey is sharing full-length videos of the Company performing on stage.
- PBS Great Performances – Explore and stream free musical and theatrical performances.
Animal lovers will be pleased to know that many zoos and aquariums offer live cams so you can observe and enjoy the animals from home.
Staff Picks:
- The Smithsonian’s National Zoo – Watch giant pandas Tian Tian and Mei Xiang on the zoo’s two Panda Cams.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium – Choose from 10 live cams, from sea otters to jellyfish.
- San Diego Zoo – Watch a variety of animals, from apes to koalas, penguins to tigers.
- American Eagle Foundation’s Eagle Cams – Explore the world of Bald Eagles through five different high-definition, live-streaming cameras placed over wild and captive Bald Eagle nests, including a wild pair residing at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.
- Aquarium of the Pacific – View live cams of penguins, sharks and more. Visitors can also connect to a variety of educational resources such as videos, online exhibits and recorded lectures.
It is possible to visit museums and historic sites from around the world without leaving your house. Visitors can enjoy online exhibits, view collections or take virtual tours.
Staff Picks:
- Enjoy artwork from around the world. Thousands of museums and galleries have partnered with Google Arts & Culture to display their collections through virtual tours.
- The Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Washington, D.C. – Take a virtual tour of the hundreds of aircraft and spacecraft on display at the National Mall Building (Washington, D.C.) or Udvar-Hazy Center (Chantilly, VA).
- Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY – Take a virtual tour and view the collection of the museum considered to be architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY – Take a virtual tour and explore the museum’s collection.
- The Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA – Take a virtual tour; access the cockpits and interiors of aircraft in the collection.
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, FL – Tour the opulent estate and lush gardens, originally the home of businessman James Deering, now owned by Miami-Dade County and open to the public.
Staff Picks:
- Tour Mount Vernon, home of George Washington.
- Visit behind the scenes at James Madison’s Montpelier.
- Explore educational resources and take virtual tours in Colonial Williamsburg.
- There’s always something new to discover at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture!
- Explore the folk heritage of the Blue Ridge region at the Blue Ridge Institute & Museum.
- Enjoy the beauty of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden from home.
Tour one of the many national parks offering digital tours and experiences that you can access anytime.
