Host a Family Activity

Are you good at crafts or maybe leading a game night? Think of the kinds of things you, your family and friends like to do together in your spare time and come share with our families.

Planning an activity that our families can do together can help alleviate stress and give our families some much-needed time together. Activities can include leading a craft, hosting a game night, entertaining families with performances or offering a wellness service to our families. Come share activities with our guest families that your family and friends enjoy doing together.

Examples

Examples are listed below and can be found on our Pinterest page. However, we love new ideas and encourage groups to be creative and bring new activities to the House!

  • Game Night 
  • Movie Night
  • Story Time
  • Indoor Carnival
  • Theme/Holiday Activities
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Performances (music, dance, plays)
  • Music or Dance Instruction
  • Active Indoor Games (hula hoops, bowling)
  • Clowns and Magic Shows
  • Professional Performing Groups

Please Note:

  • Performances and activities are for the benefit of our guest families only. Please do not bring additional “audience” members to your performances.
  • Volunteer groups are restricted to only the common areas of the House and cannot enter a guest’s room at any time.
  • All group members must be free of contagious illnesses (i.e. chicken pox, flu, colds, strep throat, etc.) when volunteering at the House.

 

Who Can Participate?

Limestone Location

Our goal is to provide families with a variety of age-appropriate opportunities for activities, entertainment, and education while living at the House. Volunteers must be age 14 or older. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Due to space limitations in the House and concern for the privacy and well-being of our families, maximum number of volunteers is 10.

Riley Location

Our goal is to provide families with a variety of age-appropriate opportunities for activities, entertainment, and education while living at the House. Volunteers must be age 18 or older (HOSPITAL RULES). Maximum number of volunteers is 8.  This leads to the best House experience for you and our guests.

 

More Information

Scheduling

Activities are typically scheduled Mondays through Thursdays, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.  House guests are at the hospital during the day and are likely to go home on the weekends. Attendance is greatest in the evenings during the week around and after dinner time.  

Supplies

Please bring any equipment or materials you will need with you. We can provide tables and chairs.  At the Limestone location, we also have the facilities for movie nights, if you are able to utilize your own streaming service.

If offering an art/craft project, please bring only non-toxic art and craft supplies intended for children. The following websites offer fun craft projects: The Crafty Crow, Enchanted Learning, Artists Helping Children. If necessary, bring plastic coverings to protect the work table(s). After your event, please return the space to the same condition that you found it.

Unfortunately, we cannot predict the number of people who will participate in your activity. The health and hospital schedules of our guests can fluctuate daily. Because a majority of the children are inpatient at the hospital or in isolation here at the House, you can expect somewhere between one and twenty people to attend. Ages will range from infant to adult with the majority of kids being elementary school aged. Plan enough supplies for 15-20 guests.  If there are leftover supplies, you are welcome to bring them to the front desk to donate. 

Under the Age of 14?

Children under the age of 14 are not permitted to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House but we have different opportunities to involve them in our mission! See below for some suggestions.

  • Pop Tabs: Collect pop tabs and bring them to the House.
  • Family Room Craft Kits: Make craft kits for our family rooms. (Example 1, Example 2)
  • Wish List Drive: Organize a drive for the Ronald McDonald House! View our wish list here.
  • Greeting Cards: Make encouraging cards for our families!  These are used for our welcome bags. Write a simple note that would make someone smile– please keep generic; non-denominational.
  • Seasonal or Themed Decorations (No Christmas or birthday decorations please.): Please read through the following guidelines.
    • No balloons
    • Durable, reusable, can be easily stored
    • Suggested items: hanging decorations (banners, garlands), photo booth props, etc.
    • Suggested themes: spring, summer, racing, Halloween (kid-friendly), luau, Superbowl, Indy sports teams, Fourth of July, New Year’s, Mardi Gras, etc.
  • Table Centerpieces (21): Please be sure sizes of centerpieces range from 1 3/4 in. to no larger than 11 in. x 15 in.
  • Door Decorations (58)

To schedule an activity or to learn more about our opportunities, please contact Marci Corbin, Family Experience Coordinator, at (317) 267-0605, ext. 210 or by e-mail at mcorbin@rmhccin.org.