Many people associate the color white with the winter season. After all, snow and ice are usually part of the winter landscape. But the cold weather is no excuse to give up some indoor winter fun. Hang a few strings of white lights, frosted icicles, and glittery snowflakes and enjoy this wintry mix of activities to celebrate the season of white.
- Honor January birthday celebrants with a white carnation corsage, the flower of the month.
- Listen to some cold weather songs, like “Winter Wonderland,` “Let It Snow,` “Sleigh Ride,` “Looks Like a Cold, Cold Winter,` or “Winter Weather.` Reminisce about winter snows of childhood and cold weather activities, like sledding, snow-shoeing, skiing, and ice-skating. Have an indoor snowball “fight` with white Styrofoam balls.
- Ring in the New Year with cutouts of Father Time (white robe, white beard, long white hair) and Baby New Year and discuss the meaning of the symbols. Ask participants to share favorite New Year’s Eve traditions. Enjoy a sparkling water toast.
- Listen to the 1949 song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.` Ask: Why do people love diamond jewelry? Are there any diamond jewel heirlooms in your family? What’s the biggest diamond you ever saw?
- Read Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening.` Write your own snow poem. Paint a snowy winter landscape. Shake a snow globe.
- Celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., which is observed on the third Monday of January. Hang white doves of peace and talk about why King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
- Intergenerational activity: Make a simple craft, like a snowman, from cotton balls. Sip hot chocolate with white marshmallows.
- Taste some cubed angel food cake, dipped in white and dark chocolate.
- Hold a vintage fashion show with formal wear: white tie/tails for the gentlemen and ball gowns for the ladies. Talk about occasions requiring white tie/tails. Watch Astaire and Rogers dance in the elegant musical Top Hat.
- Prepare a white “comfort` food for the winter, like potato soup, rice pudding, or bread.
- Read Proverbs 16:31 and 20:29, which deal with white/gray hair and aging. Ask participants how they felt about their first wrinkle and white hair. Share tips on aging gracefully.
- Enjoy a travel video on the 49th state, Alaska. Be sure to catch a glimpse of some white Arctic animals, like the polar bear.
- Hold a counting contest – ask participants to guess the number of white beans in a jar. Make a batch of white bean soup and cornbread.
- Talk about a popular winter activity, star gazing on a clear night. Name stars and constellations. Sing some star songs (“When You Wish Upon a Star`) and talk about the meaning of star idioms like “see stars` and “stars in your eyes.`
- Display an old hourglass with white sand and talk about uses for the device. Play a game of Pictionary, using a sand timer. Enjoy some seasonal white tea.
WHITE TRIVIA QUIZ
The answers to these trivia questions include the word white. Ask your group to complete the phrase.
- Popular holiday tune sung by Bing Crosby. “White Christmas`
- Name of a popular hamburger chain, founded in the early 1920s. White Castle
- Title of a popular novel by Jack London. White Fang
- Official residence of the U.S. President and First Lady. White House
- Name of a fairy tale character with seven dwarf friends. Snow White
- Name of a major league baseball team in Chicago. White Sox
- Brand of bathroom tissue. White Cloud
- Name of a city in New York, which was the site of a Revolutionary War battle. White Plains
- Title of a popular War World II song. “White Cliffs of Dover`
- A kind of holiday gift exchange. White Elephant
“COLOR WHITE” written by Sue Hansen. © 2009 ElderSong Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.
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