Intergenerational Programme
Spending time together with the older members of our community
Our Intergenerational Programme involves bringing our Pre-school children and older adults together with the aim of improving intergenerational relationships.
We work closely with our Findern Community and take regular visits to the local residential home Wallfield House as well as Derby Heights Care Home, visiting once a week. By working in partnership with these care homes, often changes young people’s attitudes towards older adults. Since visiting the local care homes we have noticed the children enjoyed the increased attention given to them by their new friends and had more opportunities to develop their social and emotional skills.
As a nursery, it is really important that the future generation grow up with an understanding and respect for those who are several generations above. Childhood experiences today vary so much more than several generations ago, and so we feel it is hugely beneficial for our children to be able to share experiences with the elderly and eliminate any fears the children might have.
In order to foster and develop a positive and effective relationship between the two generations, we plan and deliver activities that are accessible to both young and old. Activities carried out previously include: watching a puppet show, taking part in an Easter egg hunt, celebrating Christmas and being served a festive dinner by the residents, singing songs together, doing all sorts of craft, feeding chickens, planting a Remembrance tree, finding memorial stones hidden by residents, doing various fine-motor activities together, and many more! The children often enjoy showing the residents how to use different tools and resources, and love receiving praise from their older friends.
We are really excited to develop our relationships further, and plan to go on trips together as well as putting on some shows! We see the huge benefits of these sessions after every visit, and parents have commented on how their children talk very fondly of some of the residents now and look forward to their visits.
The link below will take you to a document that outlines the benefits of intergenerational learning, many of these which we are seeing ourselves!
