What Does an Activities Director Do?

An activities director is responsible for planning engaging events for the participants, considering individual interests and the safety of procedures and resources. Activities directors guide the activity staff on assisting the participants, ensuring that they are comfortable with joining the activities. Since most activities directors work at a healthcare facility or elderly institution, they must also monitor the health of the participants by conducting therapeutic activities and evaluate the participants' progress for every program. The activities director must be a critical-thinker, as well as have excellent communication skills to coordinate with facilities personnel for successful activity completion.

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Activities Director Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real activities director resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Manage updated JCC social media, including Facebook.
Manage pet therapy/pat visitation protocol.
Attend interdisciplinary care plan meetings and document in MDS and resident medical records as appropriate.
Plan, organize, and run the afterschool
Create reports, handouts, and PowerPoint presentations.
Assist teachers with reading and mathematics lessons and activities.
Form and staff various classes including crafts, cooking, knitting and CPR.
Change bed linens, run errands, direct visitors, and answer telephone.
Certify in CPR and a member of the first response team for emergency situations.
Schedule and coordinate calendar of group activities, including: movie nights, bingo, and outdoor adventures.
Staff members work with students on interdisciplinary, thematic programs that include literacy, mathematics, sciences and social studies.
Market activities to guests through supervising or executing the operation and content of close circuit television systems and Facebook page.
Develop PowerPoint presentations, word documents, and excel spreadsheets for events and confidential use in the department of athletics.
Provide activities such as morning walks, chair aerobics, card games, bingo, horticulture therapy, and pet therapy.
Arrange for community groups to come into the community, such as pet therapy, schools, churches, and entertainers.

Activities Director Job Description

Between the years 2018 and 2028, activities director jobs are expected to undergo a growth rate described as "faster than average" at 8%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So if the thought "should I become an activities director?" Has crossed your mind, maybe you should take the growth rate into account. In addition, the number of activities director opportunities that are projected to become available by 2028 is 33,800.

An activities director annual salary averages $44,982, which breaks down to $21.63 an hour. However, activities directors can earn anywhere from upwards of $27,000 to $74,000 a year. This means that the top-earning activities directors make $35,000 more than the lowest-earning ones.

Once you've become an activities director, you may be curious about what other opportunities are out there. Careers aren't one size fits all. For that reason, we discovered some other jobs that you may find appealing. Some jobs you might find interesting include a program lead, group leader, camp leader, and day camp counselor.

Learn More About Activities Director Job Descriptions

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12 Activities Director Resume Examples

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Carolyn Morris Activities Director Contact Information Peoria, IL (490) 555-6401 cmorris@example.com Skills Recreational Activities Resident Activities Recreation Services Student Body Community Involvement Facility Procedures Community Activities Special Events Community Members Employment History Activities Director 2020 - Present The Rosewood Peoria, IL Planned and implemented special events for residents, family members, and staff. Performed RCCT...which stages dementia. Coordinated special events and outings for residents. Assistant Activity Director 2018 - 2020 Genesis HealthCare Zanesville, OH Created and implemented daily activities and special events to enhance physical, mental and spiritual well-being of the residents. Coordinate facility volunteer program in adherence with company policy. Develop 2 broad monthly calendars to satisfy the needs of a diverse population. Planned individual and group recreational activities and services both therapeutic and general based on the needs and interest of the customer. Coordinated counseling support groups for grief and Alzheimer's. Recreation Director 2017 - 2018 Columbus Fire-Executive Ofcr Columbus, OH Plan special events and make contacts with outside groups to help sponsor these events. Guide team members daily and hold staff meetings, often including community officials or other guests. Lead kids in different activities such as active games, sports , art projects, special events, and field trips. Supervised recreation staff and planned and implemented special events and programs and managed programs,annual budgets and sponsorships. Education Bachelor's Degree Business 2014 - 2017 Ohio State University Columbus, OH


Jean Peters Activities Director Contact Info San Diego, CA (870) 555-2542 jpeters@example.com Skills Health CareCommunity InvolvementGMCustomer ReturnsCrisis InterventionCustomer ServiceProblem ResolutionInternetStore ManagementProgram Services Employment History Activities Director 2019 - Present Prime Time Transportation San Diego, CA Developed treatment plans, worked with teachers to coordinate behavioral schedules. Increased member and community involvement through planned, implemented, and evaluated activities. Directed the planning and set up of special events for residents and staff. Plan and execute all activities for 200 residents in an upscale independent living retirement community. Develop schedules for special events and holidays. Case Manager 2018 - 2019 Charlotte Russe San Diego, CA Run Shifts and place sales associations in zones to better customer service clients. Provided customer service with the use of ICON. Assisted clients with mental health needs. Enrolled and maintained case load of 20 high risk prenatal women until 6 weeks postpartum. Developed individual treatment plans to address clinical strengths and needs. Manager 2013 - 2018 Charlotte Russe San Diego, CA Maintain sales floor cleanliness and inventory integrity. Meet or exceed established personal and department sales goals. Stock inventory and loss prevention. Handle large amount of money,use computer for paper work, use the cash register and provide excellent customer service Managed a logistics budget in excess of $5 millions dollars. Customer Service Manager 2008 - 2012 Schwan's San Diego, CA Followed all federal DOT requirements and company policies pertaining to motor vehicles. Increased sales on assigned route to highest volume by obtaining new customers by means of various sales tactics. Performed nightly cash variances and deposits Achieved and exceeded sales goals and quotas Seek out and establish new customers for the route system in the assigned areas. Education Master's Degree Business 2012 - 2013 Ashford University San Diego, CA Bachelor's Degree Business 2005 - 2008 Ashford University San Diego, CA


Beverly Baker Activities Director Indianapolis, IN (480) 555-4153 bbaker@example.com Experience Activities Director2017 - Present YMCA of Greater Indianapolis•Indianapolis, IN Participate in marketing with emphasis on family and community involvement. Assess residents for recreational preferences and MDS purposes. Planned and hosted statewide special events including Georgia Collegiate State Intramural Basketball and Softball Tournaments. Facilitated programs specifically designed for Alzheimer and dementia residents. General Manager2016 - 2017 McDonald's•Atlanta, GA Trained of several staff members effectively. Supervised new employees Coordinated incoming shipment activities Provided customer service Recruited and hired the entire staff in a three week period prior to new store opening. Leader2013 - 2016 First Coast YMCA - Metropolitan Office•Jacksonville, FL Maintained established merchandising standards, including window, sales floor and promotional displays. Prepared and cooked food,ensured cleanliness/sanitation of restaurant,meat temps and logging, stock, kitchen safety procedures Led a team to deliver outstanding results with Target Guest Service, Target brand expectations. Manage the IT infrastructure between Level 3 and Infosys. Camp Leader2012 - 2013 First Coast YMCA - Metropolitan Office•Jacksonville, FL Demonstrated leadership abilities while organizing daily activities for campers Managed, organized, and choreographed dance Organized and planned daily activities and engagement opportunities to provide an exceptional camper experience. Manage the daily operations of recreational facilities. Compiled occupational, educational and economic information to aid counselors in carrying out vocational and educational objectives. Organized and coordinated daily activities for teens, and ensure their safety in all aspects. Communicated and collaborated with fellow staff members. Skills Revenue GrowthProceduresCPRGMHard-WorkingMDSGeneral MerchandiseOLD ChildrenPatient CareEmergency Education Bachelor's Degree Nursing2009 - 2012 Florida State College at Jacksonville•Jacksonville, FL

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Activities Director Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 15% of Activities Directors are proficient in Patients, Rehabilitation, and Resident Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Flexibility, and Leadership skills.

We break down the percentage of Activities Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Patients, 15%
Pulled patient information, assisted funeral directors with accurate information concerning expired patients, filed paperwork, organizing and auditing charts.
Rehabilitation, 10%
Collaborated with rehabilitation team in the planning of music activities in accordance with physical and psychological needs, capabilities and interests.
Resident Care, 8%
Performed medical charting according to state regulations and maintained department documentation for scheduling, resident care, activities, assignments and training
Customer Service, 7%
Utilized networking and strong customer service skills to build internal and external relationships surrounding the community.
Home Health, 7%
Created a monthly newsletter, planned day trips, coordinated with home health agencies to perform blood pressure clinics.
MDS, 6%
Supervised 2 Activities Director and Volunteers Planned and implemented activities programs Documentation, MDS 3.0

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Most activities directors list "patients," "rehabilitation," and "resident care" as skills on their resumes. We go into more details on the most important activities director responsibilities here:

Communication skills can be considered to be the most important personality trait for an activities director to have. According to a activities director resume, "recreation workers must be able to communicate well" activities directors are able to use communication skills in the following example we gathered from a resume: "controlled all aspects of event planning, photography, facility image and family communication meetings. "

Another commonly found skill for being able to perform activities director duties is the following: flexibility. According to a activities director resume, "recreation workers must be flexible when planning activities." Check out this example of how activities directors use flexibility: "demonstrate flexibility and compassion in the ability to adapt to any interaction/scenario that presents itself. "

Another skill that is quite popular among activities directors is leadership skills. This skill is very critical to fulfilling every day responsibilities as is shown in this example from a activities director resume: "recreation workers should be able to lead both large and small groups" This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "demonstrated creativity, energy, vision, self-initiative, basic leadership skills and compassion. "

A thorough review of lots of resumes revealed to us that "physical strength" is important to completing activities director responsibilities. This resume example shows just one way activities directors use this skill: "most recreation workers should be physically fit" Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical activities director tasks: "attend idt meeting, documentation, worked with physical/occupational therapies incorporating skills to be used in fitness for wheelchair bound residents. "

As part of the activities director description, you might find that one of the skills that might be helpful to the job is "problem-solving skills." A activities director resume included this snippet: "recreation workers need strong problem-solving skills" This skill could be useful in this scenario: "resolved any issues with residents for doctor appointments and transportation. "

See the full list of activities director skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming an activities director. We found that 56.6% of activities directors have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 7.7% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While most activities directors have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every six activities directors were not college graduates.

Those activities directors who do attend college, typically earn either a business degree or a rehabilitation science degree. Less commonly earned degrees for activities directors include a psychology degree or a recreation management degree.

Once you've obtained the level of education you're comfortable with, you might start applying to companies to become an activities director. We've found that most activities director resumes include experience from Sunrise Senior Living Management Inc, HCR ManorCare, and American Senior Benefits. Of recent, Sunrise Senior Living Management Inc had 20 positions open for activities directors. Meanwhile, there are 19 job openings at HCR ManorCare and 14 at American Senior Benefits.

If you're interested in companies where activities directors make the most money, you'll want to apply for positions at Microsoft, FTI Consulting, and Audible. We found that at Microsoft, the average activities director salary is $127,596. Whereas at FTI Consulting, activities directors earn roughly $125,784. And at Audible, they make an average salary of $98,074.

View more details on activities director salaries across the United States.

We also looked into companies who hire activities directors from the top 100 educational institutions in the U.S. The top three companies that hire the most from these institutions include Boys & Girls Clubs of America, University Of Minnesota Physicians, and Alachua County Public Schools.

In general, activities directors fulfill roles in the health care and non profits industries. While employment numbers are high in those industries, the activities director annual salary is the highest in the health care industry with $41,547 as the average salary. Meanwhile, the real estate and manufacturing industries pay $40,769 and $39,887 respectively. This means that activities directors who are employed in the health care industry make 26.6% more than activities directors who work in the government Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious activities directors are:

Sunrise Senior Living Management Inc20 Activities Directors Jobs
HCR ManorCare19 Activities Directors Jobs
American Senior Benefits14 Activities Directors Jobs

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What Program Leads Do

A program lead is responsible for managing a business program's operation from its conceptualization to implementation. Program leads must have excellent communication and researching skills to monitor current industry trends, adjusting program techniques and strategies to meet society's demands. They have a clear understanding of the organization's long-term goals and outline plans to define those objectives, bringing new programs to light following clients' specifications that would help the business grow revenues, maintain customer satisfaction, and keep its good reputation, and achieve profitability goals.

In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take program lead for example. On average, the program leads annual salary is $55,745 higher than what activities directors make on average every year.

Even though activities directors and program leads have vast differences in their careers, a few of the skills required to do both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require patients, customer service, and cpr in the day-to-day roles.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. An activities director responsibility is more likely to require skills like "rehabilitation," "resident care," "home health," and "mds." Whereas a program lead requires skills like "project management," "hr," "work ethic," and "customer satisfaction." Just by understanding these different skills you can see how different these careers are.

On average, program leads reach similar levels of education than activities directors. Program leads are 3.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Group Leader?

A group leader is responsible for overseeing and distributing fair tasks to the members, ensuring clear instructions and procedures. Group leaders are mainly the ones leading the team towards their success. Duties of a group leader also include setting the team's expectations, providing necessary resources to make the task successful, and sharing regular updates on the team's performance. A group leader requires to have strong leadership and problem-solving skills to manage team concerns and resolve complaints quickly and efficiently.

The next role we're going to look at is the group leader profession. Typically, this position earns a higher pay. In fact, they earn a $55,498 higher salary than activities directors per year.

While the salary may be different for these job positions, there is one similarity and that's a few of the skills needed to perform certain duties. We used info from lots of resumes to find that both activities directors and group leaders are known to have skills such as "customer service," "cpr," and "qa. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences that are worth noting. For example, activities director responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "rehabilitation," "resident care," and "home health." Meanwhile, a group leader might be skilled in areas such as "osha," "center management," "dexterity," and "safety procedures." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

In general, group leaders study at similar levels of education than activities directors. They're 1.2% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Camp Leader Compares

The job of the camp counselors is to develop recreational plans and oversee camp activities in residential camps. Their duties and responsibilities include organizing camping trips, planning and scheduling group activities, and guiding children and teenagers in various outdoor activities such as swimming and hiking. They are expected to lead campers in emergency procedures and fire drills, explain safety rules and procedures, and provide emotional support to campers. Camp counselors are also responsible for assessing and responding to emergencies when they arise.

Let's now take a look at the camp leader profession. On average, these workers make lower salaries than activities directors with a $13,848 difference per year.

As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from activities directors resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "patients," "rehabilitation," "resident care," and "home health." But a camp leader might have skills like "kids," "child care," "work ethic," and "core values."

Interestingly enough, camp leaders earn the most pay in the education industry, where they command an average salary of $30,879. As mentioned previously, activities directors highest annual salary comes from the health care industry with an average salary of $41,547.

When it comes to education, camp leaders tend to earn similar education levels than activities directors. In fact, they're 1.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Day Camp Counselor

The fourth career we look at typically earns lower pay than activities directors. On average, day camp counselors earn a difference of $15,598 lower per year.

Each job requires different skills like "patients," "rehabilitation," "resident care," and "customer service," which might show up on an activities director resume. Whereas day camp counselor might include skills like "kids," "cleanliness," "pet," and "leadership."

Day camp counselors earn a higher salary in the education industry with an average of $34,530. Whereas, activities directors earn the highest salary in the health care industry.

In general, day camp counselors reach similar levels of education when compared to activities directors resumes. Day camp counselors are 0.6% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated October 2, 2020