Flyers were easy to distribute and useful on paper, but they did not naturally pull people into conversation or movement. If I wanted to create engagement and add a sense of liveliness, then whatever came next had to invite participation rather than observation.
Instead of handing something to people and hoping they would engage with it later, I wanted to create something they could build in the moment. The plan started to form around the idea of a kit, set up almost like a buffet line, where different wellbeing items would be laid out across the room and people could walk through at their own pace. Items like hand lotion, hand sanitizer, tea packets, and other small, practical things would be available, and the kit would come together gradually as they moved from station to station.
I feel like this activity would immediately encourage more interaction. Instead of staying stationary, seniors would be walking around, making choices, and hopefully having small conversations along the way. I think that choosing between two scents of hand lotion or comparing each other’s kits would create more engagement within the senior center. Another reason this idea felt right was that it would change how I interacted with the seniors. Rather than standing in front of the room trying to explain something clearly while managing nerves, I would be alongside them, helping assemble kits and talking casually as the activity unfolded.
Movement alone can make a space feel more alive, and when people are standing, walking, and interacting, the room naturally feels more connected. Even those who chose not to participate could watch the flow and possibly feel curious enough to join in later, which felt like a gentle way to invite engagement without forcing it. At the same time, I knew this was still an experiment. There was no guarantee everyone would participate or that the interaction would unfold exactly as imagined. I think I go for it.