Four Seasons Activity Programme for Care Homes
Following our company establishment in 2011 The Great Out-tours quest was to develop a unique dual targeting environmental activity syllabus, specifically designed for delivery to Care Home residents. Following considerable investigative inputs and product delivery experience/refinement/evolution, we are very proud to introduce the ‘Four Seasons Activity Programme’:-
The Great Out-tours enrich & empower people with special needs, learning disabilities, dementia & mental health conditions, to see, interpret & understand the beauty, features & importance of our countryside. With this new found knowledge people can apply it to the context of their own lives increasing their quality of/appreciation for life.
Based on a minimum group size of 4 individuals (either all from one Care Home or made up of fixed referral clients from Care Home Day Centre provision):
Two-hour weekly price: £60 per ‘programme resident’ (Based on a rolling annual contract).
Price subject to fuel surcharge variation, based on Care Home distance from local Great Out-tours practitioner.
We have three key forms that require review/completion prior to a care home resident's inception to a 'Four Seasons Activity Programme'. Please click on the links below to download pdf's
Participant enrolment form. Two hour 'Four Seasons Activity Programme' - Care Homes. January 2025
Participant pen portrait form. Two hour 'Four Seasons Activity Programme' - Care Homes. January 2025
Telling us about a disability / learning difficulty. January 2025
Please click on the link below to download a pdf of our 'Four Seasons Activity programme' Terms & Conditions at Care Homes:
Terms & Conditions - 'Four Seasons Activity Programme' at Care Homes - Weekly 2 hour sessions - Rolling annual contract. January 2025
See The Great Out-tours risk assessment framework, covering the varied UK nationwide ‘Four Seasons Activity Programme’ Care Home activities. Click on the link below for a pdf copy:
All instructors delivering the 'Four Seasons Activity programme' at Care Homes, have £10 million Public Liability Insurance cover. Click on the link for a copy of our current Employers Liability Insurance Policy.
The Great Out-tours. Employers Liability Insurance. 2026-2027
All our care home ‘lead instructors’ are trained / certified to ‘Emergency First At Work’ level, a nationally recognised qualification that meets the requirements outlined by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive – a UK government agency responsible for the encouragement, regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety and welfare, and for research into occupational risks in Great Britain).
How We do it?
We operate a ground-breaking ‘Four Seasons Activity Programme’ providing a structured weekly care home visit service (across a calendar year) for adults with profound learning and physical disabilities. This illuminating and diverse programme tracks the flows of our four seasons, using carefully themed practical activities to herald key seasonal events in our countryside.
With skilled Great Out-tours instructors providing innovation, best practise tool tutelage/guidance and supervision, care home residents work both individually & together, supporting one other on creative wild-wood craft keepsakes & nature linked projects (for care home grounds placement). All activities are specifically focused to track/build an awareness to the seasonal flows of our countryside calendar.
A taster selection of our award winning programme’s unique season tracking activities.
Winter season project 1. – Making bird nest boxes to put up ready for Spring nesting birds. Benefits: 1. Care home resident fine/gross motor skill enrichment. 2. Mental/physical & social wellbeing empowerment 3. Ownership toward care home grounds ecological enhancement.
Christmas season project 1. – Making Wildwood Santa & Elf keepsakes for relative gifts/room decoration. Benefits: 1. Participant fine/gross motor skill enrichment 2. Mental/physical & social wellbeing empowerment. 2. Self-esteem building.
Spring season project 1. – Meeting, petting & learning about lambs. Benefits: 1. Care home resident mental/physical & social enrichment. 2. Educational empowerment & ownership toward living animal husbandry/care. 3. Self-esteem building.
Easter season project 2. – Making wild-wood Easter Egg hanging mobile for room decoration. Benefits: 1. Care home resident mental/physical/social wellbeing enrichment. 2. Educational empowerment. 3. Self-esteem building.
Spring season project 3. – Meeting, petting & learning about wild Mallard ducklings. Benefits: 1. Care home resident mental/physical/social wellbeing enrichment. 2. Educational empowerment & ownership toward living animal husbandry & care home grounds ecological enhancement (pond).
Summer season project 1. – Making refreshing wild Elderflower Cordial in flower blossom season. Benefits: 1. Care home resident fine & gross motor skills enrichment. 2. Mental/physical & social wellbeing empowerment 3. Self-esteem building.
Summer season project 2. – Making a bird table for winter use of the care home’s bird life. Benefits: 1. Care home resident fine/gross motor skill enrichment. 2. Mental/physical & social wellbeing empowerment 3. Ownership toward care home grounds ecological enhancement.
Autumn season project – Apple pressing to make the freshest juice for resident consumption. Benefits: 1. Participant fine & gross motor skills enrichment. 2. Mental/physical & social wellbeing empowerment. 3. Self-esteem building.
“These programmes are structured educational digests of practical activities, sharing with people young and old, that most precious of gifts – the power to appreciate our natural world by sight, sound, scent & touch. We are now in our eighth consecutive year of frontline delivery with these two products and their popularity is at an all time high!”
“Since my husband joined The Great Out-tours his life is much more enjoyable. Under the kind and patient supervision of John, he is now able to do many of the DIY things the Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease had stopped him doing on his own. He loves being outdoors doing the variety of things the seasons bring along. Monday and Friday mornings are now something to look forward to instead of just “another day”. We are so pleased we were put in touch with them. Thank you so much.“ Barbara (Wife)
“We have been working in partnership with The Great Out-tours team at our care home for five years with two resident groups participating weekly in their diverse ‘Four Seasons Activity Programme’. Seeing the pleasure on peoples’ faces and feeling the enthusiasm is very, very special.”
"Since my husband joined The Great Out-tours his life is much more enjoyable. Under the kind and patient supervision of John he is now able to do many of the DIY things the Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease had stopped him doing on his own. He loves being outdoors doing the variety of things the seasons bring along. He really enjoys looking after the animals, especially the young when they arrive. Monday and Friday mornings are now something to look forward to instead of just "another day". We are so pleased we were put in touch with them. Thank you so much.“
"What a lovely website and thank you for wanting to share it! I've spent some time looking through all of the albums and Graham certainly seems to be enjoying himself. I saw him this week and he was telling me all about 'the farm' and what he does - he certainly seems very engaged with it all and it's great to know that he is learning valuable 'life skills' and getting fresh air and exercise too. My other brothers live in Canada so I will pass the details onto them as I'm sure they would like to see Graham in action!"
"I like the ducks & everything about them; collecting their eggs, letting them out & feeding them & seeing the chicks hatch out of their shells."
"I like the ducks & everything about them; collecting their eggs, letting them out & feeding them & seeing the chicks hatch out of their shells."
"I like outside on the farm; we cut the tree down & I like making the hurdle with sarah. I like Freddie the pig & making wild mushroom soup."
"I think it's very, very, very nice to come here. I liked making the sty for the pigs & filling it with straw. I like collecting chicken eggs."
"I liked making the bat box, bird table and drilling."
"The favourite part of my week is coming to the farm group. I really like seeing/holding the ducklings and lambs."
"I like coming here because it's fun. My best bit was not being afraid to stroke billy elvis the goat, when I got used to him."
"I like coming here because it's fun. My best bit was not being afraid to stroke billy elvis the goat, when I got used to him"
"Just wanted to say 'great' and thanks! Steve looks happy, fulfilled and he's really contributing. Your benchmarking comments are useful too. The venture is very positive and most important. We really hope that it continues and goes from strength to strength."
"It's great. i love the goat 'elvis'."
"I like seeing the lambs and kid goats. I really enjoyed making the wild wood dragonfly."
"I like seeing the chicks and ducklings. I enjoyed making the wild wood dragonflies."
"What a day! I enjoy it here, we sing farm songs."
"I can't thank you enough for the work you are doing with my sister. She looks happy & relaxed."
"Happy Christmas! Just to say how great the photos of Steve continue to be. You can really see how happy and fulfilled he is. Just excellent. Spoke to our Dad and he's thrilled too; it's really a great gift for him to see Steve's happiness. Thanks again and a Happy New Year to everyone at The Great Out-tours".
"I absolutely love using the drill and best of all taking my finished crafts back to my room."
"I love comimg to the farm group and having fun with everyone! I really enjoy seeing all the animals and holding/stroking them."
