Wednesday 2nd October

This week’s visit to the care home was full of smiles and laughter. This group of children amazed us yet again as they have built up a memory as to where the care village is. They have begun to recognise landmarks on the way and count the speed bumps as we arrive. Before we entered the care village, the children talked about the way we should behave there. Everyone had remembered quiet voices, walking feet and kind hands. As we walked in, it was smiles and waves all round. Everyone greeted us and the children knew exactly what to do. It was shoes, jumpers and coats off and straight to play.

The children selected some books and then chose a special older friend to sit with. Some of the children opted for quiet reading independently which we were not surprised about as it was quiet, warm and comfortable. Other children chose to draw with their friends whilst others chose to play jigsaws and games. Now that we have visited several times we are beginning to observe threads of learning and interests emerging which we hope to turn into a project so watch this space!

Monday 23rd September

The children were very excited to visit their friends at the care village. On our way, the children talked about the route we would take. They knew we went across a bridge and up a bank but this week we identified a new characteristic of our journey - bumps! We counted them as the minibus drove over. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7! Wow, seven bumps and then we arrived.

There was lots of our older friends waiting for us. We waved and said hello as we entered the care village. The children already know the routine so it was shoes and coats off before heading into the big room. The children are quickly learning the grownups names.  Before we knew it, everyone was off getting busy. We are already identifying some shared interests such as animals, space and drawing.

One of the children enjoyed showing his creative skills by drawing lots of shapes whilst some of our older friends drew rockets and crocodiles. We really do have some amazing artists. The children enjoyed experimenting with different drawings resources this week, swapping from felt tip pens to crayons and coloured pencils.

This week we were greeted by some new friends who we enjoyed getting to know. Again, we are beginning to see relationships flourish as the children become even more confident in the space. We were all a little tired at the end of the day and there was definitely some snoozing on the way back to nursery.

Wednesday 18th September

Today we visited the care village with our second group. The children were very excited about visiting and were intrigued about what the ‘care village’ actually is. When we arrived we said our hellos to everyone, introduced ourselves and asked the residents names. We then looked at the resources we have in our cupboard and selected what we wanted to use that day. The children chose threading activities, books, matching dominoes, jigsaws and drawing. We all headed to the big community space where the children chatted with the residents and engaged in activities.

The children and their older friends had a wonderful time getting to know each other. Before we knew it everyone was totally engrossed in their chosen of activity. Our older friends particularly enjoyed sharing books and some of the children enjoyed reading the stories to the adults using the pictures. That is quite a talent! Our visit today was all about making connections with one another and that has definitely happened. We are looking forward to our next visit.

Monday 9th September - Our First Day Back!

This week a brand-new group of children visited the care village. Everyone was so excited to climb aboard our minibus and we chatted about what we might see and do when we arrive. On arrival, the children stood outside and looked intrigued. We had spoken about meeting new friends and spending some quality time with them but who were these new friends? It was time to venture inside and find out.

As usual we took off our shoes, jumpers and coats (it does get very hot in there!) and we all walked into the big room where we spotted lots of people. They were very welcoming and waved and chatted to the children. The children asked their names and even shook hands! It was not long before the children were sitting reading stories, drawing pictures and playing games. We can already see friendships blossoming and we are all looking forward to our next visit.

Saturday 3rd August - Our Intergenerational Celebration

This week saw the preschool children involved in our intergenerational project bid a final farewell to their older friends. We held a huge celebration at the care village on Saturday morning where we handed out a small memorable gift to the residents who we have been working with. We also watched a short video which demonstrated the impact our time together has had on one another. This was quite emotional as this was the first time everyone had watched it together and a few happy tears were shed.

The residents and children’s families finally had the chance to meet and there were hugs all round. Everyone had such a wonderful time as we toasted the last year. The children spent some time outside showing their families where they have spent their time. Although we have said goodbye to this group of children, we are very excited to introduce two new groups of children to the care village in September.

Wednesday 31st July - Our Last Visit

This week we enjoyed our very last visit to the care village where our friends were waiting for us. We enjoyed spending time together with our usual drawing and reading but also spending time outside with our older friends. One of the residents decided she would be a bus driver and gave the children turns on her walker. The children thought this was brilliant and waved to their friends as they drove past.

As it was our last day, we decided to take a huge celebratory picnic to share with everyone. We even had cake and iced lollies, which were very welcome on such a hot day. After lunch we headed outside where we played hide and seek games. One of our residents is very good at this game and at the grand age of 95, has no doubt had lots of practice. She was able to find all the children and even found a great hiding place for herself!

Our last visit was wonderful and we all thoroughly enjoyed spending time with our friends. Soon it was time to leave but we still had our celebratory event with our families to enjoy on Saturday.

Wednesday 17th July

Today our visit to the care home was really special. We were celebrating one of our special friends 95th birthday which meant birthday cake and singing all round. One of the residents’ sons came in to visit today and as a retired fire fighter he had promised he would bring in some equipment to show us. We were amazed to see him walking in with some very large bags. We all sat down patiently in a circle and waited to see what treasures he had to show us. He produced some long trousers with braces which he said were called ‘leggings’ and then a big jacket called a ‘tunic’. He then reached into a bag and pulled out his fire fighter’s helmet. The children were wowed! Even more so when he asked if they would like to try them on. Everyone’s hands were raised to try them out. What an amazing surprise!

We also spent time with our friends’ sharing stories, drawing, threading, jigsaws, games and then we spent the rest of our afternoon outside playing in the glorious sunshine. Some of our older friends joined us and it was a great end to the day.

Our days at Winton Court are coming to an end and we cannot begin to explain the impact these interactions have had on everyone involved in the project. The children have made strong bonds with our wonderful residents and we have observed communication skills, confidence and independence surge. The children have shown how they can support others without the need for adult direction. The friendships made are completely authentic and the children are going to miss their friends when they head off to school. We are looking forward to our very last week where we will celebrate the end of our project together.

Wednesday 4th July

The children were all so excited to visit their older friends and when our minibus started to drive over the seven speed bumps (we know just how many there are before we arrive at the entrance) the children’s faces lit up. Everyone had already made a plan and knew who they wanted to work with that day. As we arrive there were hugs and smiles all round. Immediately the children collected their resources and off they went.

We are now at the point in the year where we see the high level of independence and autonomy from the children. They feel the space is an extension of nursery and they are very comfortable within it. They have developed relationships not only with the residents but with the caring staff. They move themselves and the furniture around to accommodate their friends needs, demonstrating their understanding of others.

The children spent most of their day threading and developing their construction ideas alongside their older friends. We have seen a lot of competitiveness amongst our residents to build bigger and higher models and as usual they are very lucky to have the professionals (our preschoolers) to show them how it’s done!

Wednesday 19th June

This week the children enjoyed visiting their older friends once again. We got busy immediately with our books and drawings. Some of the children showcased their writing skills whilst others enjoyed having stories read to them. This week we were lucky to have the sun shining so we headed outside for a story and then lots of fun and games in the garden. The residents enjoyed listening to the children’s shouts and laughter as they moved around the huge space. Some of the children began collecting sticks and feathers which they shared with the residents. We also spotted some trees with holes inside. What could live in there?

Today was a very special day as the children handed out the invitations to our end of year celebration. We hand delivered some of the invitations whilst the children acted as post person and posted the others through the residents doors. After some singing, the day was done and it was time to return back to nursery. The consensus from the children was that they were not ready to leave and wanted to return tomorrow. This really is our special place with our special older friends.

Wednesday 5th June

This week we visited our older friends at the care village and what fun we had! The children enjoyed getting all the resources out and choosing what they would like to do that day. We took lots of activities with us which we thought the children may want to engage with but they had other plans. On the way, the children had already selected what they were doing and who they were working with that day.

This week the main interests were jigsaws, games and woodwork. The residents are really enjoying creating structures with our new woodwork resources, making some wild and wonderful models! This week we saw a shift as the children began to take further ownership of their learning. The children displayed their knowledge to the adults by supporting them by completing puzzles as well as reading stories through the pictures. We have observed the children’s caring nature as they support their older friends with the selection of activities, moving tables and chairs to be closer to them and showing how things work.

We also had a very special visitor from London who came to visit us. She was very interested in how we work and what sorts of activities we engage in. She was amazed by the confidence of the children in the space and how they interact with the residents.

Wednesday 22nd May

This week was a very special week for the children and residents. One of our friends celebrated her 90th birthday. We wanted the day to be very special so we planned the most amazing party day. The children made a beautiful birthday cake and we added number 90 candles. As our friend is a huge Newcastle United supporter, we decided to host a black and white, football themed party. The children and staff all dressed in their black and white/ football outfits and we dressed the room with black and white decorations. Even the birthday cake was black and white!

In the morning, we had the lovely Julie who sang for us. Everyone enjoyed singing and dancing and we observed some very groovy moves. After lunch we had party games, birthday cake, a special toast, ice lollies and we all sang happy birthday. We had such an amazing day. All the residents, children, nursery grown ups and staff came together to make our friends birthday really special.

Wednesday 8th May

This week we visited Winton Court and were surprised by the beautifully sunny weather. We decided to spend the morning inside and the afternoon outside. We got busy drawing, sharing stories, playing games and completing jigsaws. We played the usual game of ‘musical furniture’ in order for the residents and children to fully access the resources. The residents were thrilled to see the children and there were hugs all round.

The children enjoyed chatting with the residents about what they have been doing over the last couple of weeks. One of the children shared that they had celebrated a special festival at home with their elder friend. The bonds between the children and residents are extremely strong and this is wonderful to observe.

In the afternoon everyone enjoyed singing songs together before we headed outside to explore the beautiful gardens. This was the first time the children had explored the outside space and they were amazed by the vast gardens. There was lots of running and jumping games. Some of our elder friends came outside with us to enjoy the sunshine. A great end to a fabulous day.

Wednesday 24th April

This week the children had a great time with their older friends. We took some new resources to explore and the children and residents were very excited to try them out. One of our residents wanted to practice some woodwork with the children so we purchased a tool set. He was thrilled and immediately began to demonstrate to the children how to use the equipment. He then helped support them by guiding them and holding the wood in place. This encouraged other children and residents to engage with the new resources and before we knew it, a group had gathered to build, hammer and screw the pieces into place. We will definitely be continuing with our woodwork theme next time.

The children and residents also enjoyed sharing our new books about famous people. The books about Muhammad Ali and David Bowie were definitely our favourites. One of the residents knew a lot about the famous people and could extend upon the book which was very interesting. We also tried out decorating rolls of paper to make a collaborative piece which was very successful. The children worked together to create a beautiful mural which we are planning to display.

Wednesday 10th April

On today’s visit to the care village the children were very excited to celebrate Easter. We had decided to host an Easter party for everyone. The children enjoyed becoming the Easter bunny and handed out Easter eggs to all the adults who were completely surprised by the kind gesture. In the morning, we enjoyed spending time with our friends with the books (our favourite), drawing, working with the construction sets, threading and jigsaws. The residents and children have a mutual love of jigsaws, so this is always a popular activity. We were so pleased to see lots of our friends come to work with us and as usual there were cuddles all round.

In the afternoon, we got our Easter party up and running with some party games. The children have clearly been practicing and showed off their best dance moves. We played musical bumps, statues and corners. The residents cheered on the children and even helped to pick out some of the best dancers. Before we knew it, it was time to leave. The children said their goodbyes, gave hugs and it was back on the minibus to listen to the children chat about their day.

Wednesday 20th March

This week the children had another super week at Winton Court. Before we left the children talked about what sort of resources, they would like to take with them and we had lots of suggestions. These included jigsaws, matching games, blocks, animals, threading, books, pens and paper. We took all our resources and were greeted by Carole, the manager. We said good morning, took off our shoes and coats and got busy. It was a quiet start to the morning but soon we had lots of residents join us. We were so happy to see one of our friends return from hospital this week and there were hugs all round.

Everyone was so excited to work with their friends and the morning was full of joy and laughter. The children got busy with their chosen activity and with their chosen adult. One of the children were thrilled to share the London resources which were donated by the families of Childsplay with one of the residents. The resident drove London buses for most of his life and was amazed by the memorabilia. It brought back lots of precious memories which he shared with us. This really made our special friend happy.

 The children and residents enjoyed sharing the construction and threading equipment. We made vehicles, animals and dinosaurs to name a few! Threading has proving to be a big hit with the residents as this is an activity they can support each other with. We all chatted about what we would like to do on our next visit and it was unanimous. The children would like an Easter party and to put the ‘big screen’ up. We are also looking forward to a big event in May when we celebrate one of the residents 90th birthdays. We have a few ideas for that too!

Wednesday 13th March

The children and staff had a wonderful visit to Winton Court this week. We were very excited to return after a month’s break (due to illness in the care village) and see our friends. As soon as the children arrived, they immediately embraced their older friends and we talked about how much we had missed visiting. This week, we took some new resources with us which we thought the children and adults may want to use together. We also took with us our family photographs which the children shared. The residents could now put faces to the names as the children are constantly updating them about their family life. The residents were very genuine and asked the children questions about their families which the children thoroughly enjoyed answering. The residents are all looking forward to meeting the children’s families in August as part of our goodbyes before school.

We have made some new friends at the care home recently and they have signed to join our project which is amazing news! They have enjoyed working with the children using jigsaws, construction resources and books to name a few. We also have a favourite resident who the children affectionately call ‘the tickle monster’, who has entertained the children this week with tales of farm life and we now know about the types of animals which live on a farm. He also talked to the children about the other animals you may see on a farm such as hawks, owls, badgers and foxes. He spoke fondly of his sheepdog, tractor and cat and his farmyard friends. It is so rewarding to listen to the children learning from the adults. Our ‘tickle monster’ friend is always a hit with the children and shares his knowledge and wisdom with everyone. He is there week on week to share in the activities and work with us. We will be visiting next week with all of our new London resources which have been very kindly donated by the families of Childsplay. Thank you to everyone who supported us.

Wednesday 14th February

This week the children visited the care home and what a wonderful day we had. We were so lucky to be able to spend time celebrating Valentine’s Day with our friends. The children enjoyed sharing stories, making Valentines pictures and cards as well as handing out some little gifts to celebrate the day which the residents were a little overwhelmed by.  

We had a visit from a very special someone, little Fergo, a beautiful puppy who belongs to one of the resident’s families. We spent some time with little Fergo and there were snuggles and cuddles all round. The children displayed how kind and gentle they are by being calm and quiet around the puppy (who then fell fast asleep). One of the children spent some time with one of our residents who has dementia and showed just how capable the youngest children are by supporting him with identifying birds and talking about the types of animals you may see on a farm. As always, the children amaze us with their considerate and thoughtful approach to the residents. Our intergenerational project is going from strength to strength so watch this space!

Wednesday 31st January

This week we visited our friends at Winton Court and what a busy day we had! Everyone was there ready to see us and we enjoyed sharing our resources with our friends. The children had already decided what they would like to take with them and this included dominoes, books, pens, paper, chalk and puzzles. Each child chose a resident to work with and off they went! The residents were amazed at the children’s abilities both with the puzzles, drawing and number work. They were in awe of the children’s compassion and ability to support others as they observed them bringing their resources closer, pulling up chairs and helping to different ways so the residents can be part of the activity.

 

A short time after we arrived, the staff informed us that it was one of the resident’s birthdays and she was 88 years old today. One of the children was thrilled to celebrate with his special grown up and we all made a birthday card which we presented to her after lunch. We sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and she was completely overwhelmed. After lunch we all got back to work before finishing our day with a group sing song. One of the residents requested baby shark which the preschoolers were more than happy to sing.

Wednesday 17th January

This week we had another visit to see our wonderful friends at Winton Court. We had decided to take lots of maths and science resources as some of the residents really like to talk to us about these topics. We have a lovely resident we worked as a farmer for many years and tells us lots of tales of life working on the farm. One of the children enjoyed spending time with him and the resident even showed off his drawing skills by drawing a green tractor! We have another resident who loves to work with the children on shapes and numbers and has developed his own activities to share with them. We took some measuring tapes, number cards, number stones, peg boards and dominoes with us.

One of the residents had a visit from their friend who brought in some old coins. We talked about the different names of the coins such as farthing and halfpenny. The children were intrigued as to who the figures were on the back of the coins, so we investigated further. We looked at the date and the name and we discovered that some of the coins had Queen Elizabeth engraved and even Queen Victoria! This led to a conversation about our current royal family. We were able to bring the coins back to nursery to share with our friends. We will then return them on our next visit.

We were very lucky this week to have been joined by so many of the wonderful residents. Everyone joined us to read stories, chat and show off their drawing skills. The children were sad to leave with one child stating “It’s too long till we come back. I don’t want to go yet!". This shows us just how much this wonderful home from home environment means to the children.

Wednesday 3rd January 2024

It was great to get back to Winton Court and visit our friends. After wishing everyone a happy new year, the children enjoyed sharing what they had done over the festive period and talked about what they had received from Santa. The residents loved listening to the children’s tales of Christmas. One of the children had decided to bring a special book all about birds to share with one of his favourite residents. The two read the book cover to cover and explored all the bird names! As the resident used to run a farm, he knew lots about the birds in the book and shared this information with us.

The children and residents enjoyed spending the day together and engaging in reading, drawing and games. One group of children played word games whilst another enjoyed number games. We love to see collaborative work between the children and the residents!

Today was also a very special day for one of our residents. She is 90 years old (or 90, 2, 1,000,000, 1,000 as one of the children thought)! She was thrilled when the children sang Happy Birthday to her and she was also quite impressed with her birthday cake too! Just as we do at nursery with the children’s birthdays, we like to celebrate the birthdays of the residents as they too are part of our Childsplay family.