"We do not stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing." --George Bernard Shaw
Seattle Preschool In A Nursery Home 'Transforms' Elderly Residents
"What would happen if you paired the very young with the very old? It's being done at a preschool in Seattle, where child care takes place throughout a campus which is also home to more than 400 older adults. Called the Intergenerational Learning Center, the preschool is located within Providence Mount St. Vincent, a senior care center in West Seattle. Five days a week, the children and residents come together in a variety of planned activities such as music, dancing, art, lunch, storytelling or just visiting."
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Reading Corner
Title: Now One Foot, Now the Other
Author: Tomie dePaola
Ages: 5-8 years
Why? This gentle story focuses on the relationship between Bobby and his Grandpa Bob. Grandpa Bob teaches young Bobby to walk, and, when Grandpa Bob suffers a stroke, Bobby returns the favor. This is a touching story of a young child learning to come to terms and help with his loved one's disability.
Author: Tomie dePaola
Ages: 5-8 years
Why? This gentle story focuses on the relationship between Bobby and his Grandpa Bob. Grandpa Bob teaches young Bobby to walk, and, when Grandpa Bob suffers a stroke, Bobby returns the favor. This is a touching story of a young child learning to come to terms and help with his loved one's disability.
Recommended by Shari Swanson
Be the Change
Consider ways in which your child can interact with the elderly. Might there be ways for your child to visit a residence center or nursing home? Is there someone there who would love to be read to or visited? For more ideas, check out this list of possible service projects.
