Holiday Events

Advertise for residents to bring 4 dozen of their favorite cookie to the clubhouse for the Exchange. Make sure to prepare some of your own. (Emphasize that the cookies must be homemade). When everyone arrives, divide the number of cookies by the number of people and let everyone pick cookies to take home. Everyone should leave with lots of different kinds of cookies. Tasting the cookies is definitely encouraged! This event gives people a lot to talk about - encourage exchanging recipes and talking by making some coffee for people to drink while they sample the cookies.

Provide a buffet of various flavors of holiday pies: rosemary apple pie, twilight pie, peachy pecan pie, creamy apple pie, bumbleberry pie, crunchy caramel apple pie, cranberry apple pie, etc. Serve caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee in different flavors: regular, chocolate caramel, and pumpkin spiced. Talk with a local coffee vendor about the possibility of serving their signature coffees on site. Have eggnog and apple cider for any non-coffee drinkers. Invite an artist(s) to come and serenade the atmosphere with soft festive holiday music. If unable to do so, play soft light background music. If a musician is available, invite the residents to gather around and sing classic holiday songs. Visit Better Homes and Gardens/ Recipes for holiday recipes.

Don't forget that during the month of December you can mail or drop your Christmas card off at the office. We'll be selecting our favorites and posting them to Facebook and office window. Winner will receive a $50 gift card to a restaurant of their choice.

Mark your calendars for December the 18th at 6:00pm when Santa will be visiting our community! This will be a good time for your children to meet him up close and ask him for any last minute gifts. He'll also be giving out candy canes to the little ones (and grown ones). Come on out and see him!

Create an environment where you residents watch food being prepared as well as eat delicious food in a fun relaxed atmosphere.  They can also pick up tips for thier own upcoming holiday parties. 

This is a fun idea for the month of December. Take 2 weeks or so out of the month and do RAW - Resident Appreciation Week.  But with a fun Holiday Twist!  It is written in which the CARES Teams carry it out but switch up the wording and have fun! The events will be held at the entrance gates, in the Leasing Office and club house.

Have your children mail their Dear Santa letters to P.O. Box 555 and just before Christmas we'll be posting them all in a Santa Newsletter you can give to your kids with his response!

This is a great way to create an environment for residents to get to know one another while also helping them adhere to their Christmas budgets. Go buy wrapping paper, bows, to/from stickers, tape, scissors, and a few other miscellaneous wrapping supplies and set it all up in the clubhouse at your complex. Play Christmas music and serve Christmas cookies and hot chocolate while residents come as they please (open house style) and use free supplies to wrap their gifts. You can also use this time to play simple get to know you games or stimulate conversation by having prepared topics like having residents share their favorite Christmas memories. It would also be fun to have Christmas trivia questions ready to ask aloud for residents to discuss. You could even get kids around the complex (or kids from a kids club) to volunteer to help...

Take you or your family down to the clubhouse tonight for our Annual Holiday Movie Night. Tonight we'll be showing Christmas Vacation. If you can't make it tonight you can still take part in the festivities by coming to the office and renting (free of charge of course) a Holiday Movie of your choice.

  Encourage your residents to beautify their doors.  Host a wreath-making event, serving yummy snacks and/or refreshments.