The fastest way to start using AI safely in your activity program is to have ready-made prompts that are already de-identified and effective. Here are 25 you can copy, customize, and use right now.
How to Use These Prompts
Every prompt below is written to be safe - no participant names, no room numbers, no dates of birth, no protected health information. You can copy these directly into any AI tool, adjust the details in brackets to fit your group, and use the output.
A few principles behind each prompt:
Specificity produces better results. "Give me activity ideas" is less useful than "Give me 5 reminiscence activity ideas for adults in their late 70s and early 80s with mild to moderate memory challenges who grew up in the Midwest." The more context you give, the more useful the output.
De-identified context is still rich context. You do not need names or diagnoses to give AI tools the information they need. Ability level, general age range, cultural background, cognitive stage, and individual interests are all safe to include.
Review everything. AI output is a starting point, not a finished product. Always review before using.
Activities and Programming
Prompt 1 - General activity ideas:
"Generate 10 activity ideas for a group of adults in their late 70s and 80s in an adult day program. The group has mixed cognitive levels ranging from mild memory challenges to moderate dementia. Most participants are physically limited to seated activities. Include a mix of cognitive, social, and creative activities."
Prompt 2 - Reminiscence activities:
"Create 5 reminiscence activity prompts for adults who grew up in the 1940s and 50s in the American South. Focus on food, music, family traditions, and community events from that era. Write each prompt as an open-ended question or discussion starter."
Prompt 3 - Sensory activity for advanced dementia:
"Describe a 20-minute sensory activity suitable for adults with advanced dementia who have limited verbal communication. The activity should engage touch and smell, require no complex instructions, and can be facilitated by one staff member with a group of 5-8 participants."
Prompt 4 - Spiritual/reflective programming:
"Create a non-denominational 15-minute reflective group activity for adults in a nursing home that honors diverse spiritual backgrounds. The activity should involve simple readings or questions about gratitude, meaning, and memory, and be appropriate for adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment."
Prompt 5 - Intergenerational activity:
"Design an intergenerational activity suitable for adults with dementia and elementary-school-age children visiting as part of a program. The activity should last 30 minutes, require minimal supplies, and give each generation something to share or teach."
Cognitive Engagement
Prompt 6 - Trivia questions:
"Write 15 trivia questions about American history from the 1950s through the 1970s, appropriate for adults in their late 70s and 80s. Include questions about music, television, sports, and news events. Provide the answers separately."
Prompt 7 - Word games:
"Create a word association game for a group with mild cognitive impairment. Use a theme of 'things you find in a kitchen.' List 20 starter words and explain how to use them to prompt conversation and memory sharing in a group setting."
Prompt 8 - Current events discussion:
"Create 5 current events discussion questions appropriate for seniors in an adult day program. The questions should be accessible to adults with mild memory challenges, avoid partisan topics, and encourage sharing personal perspectives and experiences."
Prompt 9 - Memory game:
"Design a simple photo-based memory matching game for adults with moderate dementia. Suggest 12 image pairs using familiar everyday objects. Explain how to adapt the game for different ability levels within the same group."
Prompt 10 - Storytelling prompt:
"Write 5 storytelling starter sentences that invite older adults to share memories from their working years. The prompts should work for adults from diverse professional backgrounds - farming, factory work, homemaking, teaching, military service - and require no specific educational background to engage with."
Bingo and Games
Prompt 11 - Themed bingo:
"Create a bingo card template for a garden-themed bingo game. List 30 garden-related words or images suitable for adults in a senior care setting, which I can use to populate 5x5 bingo cards. Suggest how to call the items in a way that provides additional engagement."
Prompt 12 - Picture bingo for advanced dementia:
"Suggest 24 familiar everyday objects that would work well as images on a picture bingo card for adults with moderate to advanced dementia. The objects should be things most American adults would recognize from everyday life in the mid-20th century. Keep the visual concepts simple and high-contrast."
Prompt 13 - Decade bingo:
"Create a list of 30 items representing American popular culture from the 1960s - songs, products, events, television shows, and celebrities - that could be used as a decade-themed bingo game for adults who were in their 20s and 30s during that decade."
Exercise and Movement
Prompt 14 - Chair exercise plan:
"Write a 20-minute chair exercise session plan for a mixed-ability group of older adults, most of whom are seated and some of whom have limited upper body mobility. Include a warm-up, 8-10 exercises with clear verbal cues, and a cool-down. Suggest upbeat music from the 1950s-1970s to accompany the session."
Prompt 15 - Gentle stretching:
"Create a 10-minute morning stretching routine for older adults that can be done seated in a chair. Include movements for the neck, shoulders, hands, and ankles. Write the instructions in simple, clear language appropriate for adults with mild cognitive impairment."
Prompt 16 - Ball exercise:
"Design a group chair exercise activity using a soft foam ball for a group of 8-12 older adults with mixed mobility. The activity should be social and light-hearted, involve passing, tossing, or rolling the ball in various patterns, and last approximately 15 minutes."
Documentation and Care Plans
Prompt 17 - Activity care plan language:
"Write activity care plan goal language for a participant described as follows: adult in their mid-70s, moderate memory challenges, history in the arts, responds well to creative activities and one-on-one engagement, tends to disengage in large groups. Write 2 goal statements and 3 corresponding interventions using non-clinical, person-centered language."
Prompt 18 - Session note:
"Write a brief activity session note template for a music and movement group. The note should have blank fields for: date, activity name, number of participants, overall engagement level, and two to three sentences of narrative observation. Keep it under 100 words when complete."
Prompt 19 - Engagement summary:
"Write a quarterly engagement summary paragraph for a participant described as: adult in their late 60s with IDD, enjoys routine and structured activities, has shown increased participation in group games over the past 3 months, occasionally needs redirection but responds positively to calm verbal prompting. Use person-first, strengths-based language. Do not use the participant's name."
Family Communication
Prompt 20 - Monthly newsletter intro:
"Write a warm, engaging opening paragraph for a June activity program newsletter from an adult day center. The tone should be friendly and celebratory. Mention summer programming, upcoming family events, and the team's appreciation for participant families."
Prompt 21 - Family update letter:
"Write a brief, friendly letter to families of adult day program participants announcing a new AI-assisted activity planning tool the program is adopting. Explain in plain language that the tool does not store any participant information, and reassure families about privacy. Keep the tone warm and accessible."
Prompt 22 - Event invitation:
"Write an invitation to families for a summer garden party at an adult day center. The event will include live music, a simple craft activity, and refreshments. The tone should be warm and welcoming. Include space for an RSVP and note that the event is free."
Staff and Operations
Prompt 23 - Staff training outline:
"Create a 30-minute outline for a staff training session on safe AI tool use in a care setting. The session should cover: what AI tools are and are not, basic privacy guidelines (including pseudonymization), approved and prohibited uses, and a Q&A section. Include suggested discussion questions."
Prompt 24 - Supply list:
"Generate a comprehensive monthly supply list for an adult day activity program serving 20-30 participants. Include supplies for arts and crafts, sensory activities, cognitive games, physical activity, and seasonal/holiday programming for a summer month. Organize by category."
Prompt 25 - Interest survey:
"Create a simple, large-print interest survey for adult day program participants or their family members to complete at intake. The survey should ask about hobbies, music preferences, favorite foods, meaningful life experiences, and preferred activity types. Write the questions in plain, accessible language. Limit to one page."
Getting More From These Prompts
These prompts work in any general AI tool - just remember not to add any participant names, room numbers, or other identifying information. The specificity in the prompt (age range, cognitive level, cultural background, activity preferences) gives the AI enough context to produce useful, tailored output without creating any privacy risk.
For activity-specific content, DayGuide AI's built-in Nova assistant is already optimized for care settings - generating personalized programming, bingo cards, trivia, exercise plans, and documentation in formats designed specifically for activity professionals.
