Monday 6th January

This week we headed back to one of our favourite places, the care village. We were excited to see all our friends and tell them all about what we did over Christmas. They were very excited to see us too and we all chatted about spending time with our families and exchanging gifts. As we engaged in activities with our older friends, we noticed it was beginning to snow again. The children were very excited and immediately ran to the windows to watch the snow come down. Some of the children perched themselves on chairs and peeked over the top to get a different view. We knew we would have to keep a close eye on the weather as the care village is at the very top of a rather steep hill!

 One of the residents showed the children a game someone had given to us as a present. It was draughts. The children took it in turns to move the pieces and learned how to capture each other’s pieces. The children and residents are really enjoying engaging in jigsaws, games and dominoes at the minute. One matching game in particular, was proving to be quite tricky to complete so we decided to change the rules and make up our own. Our older friends decided to turn over four cards instead of two!

This week we introduced the wooden construction blocks and everyone really enjoyed building their own structures. We do need to keep an eye on some of our more competitive residents who try to build bigger and taller than everyone else!

Monday 16th December

Today the children enjoyed their very last visit to the care village of 2024. We had a wonderful time with a Christmas party in the morning where the children enjoyed lots of party games. We played musical bumps, musical statues and some pass the parcel which was a big hit. One of our older friends was particularly good at musical statues and even won a prize!

The children showed off all their best party moves and before we knew it, it was time for a party lunch. We had lots of different party food to eat and share with our older friends. Everyone enjoyed some special Christmas treats before our afternoon began. We shared stories, sang Christmas songs and to end it was hot chocolate all round! What a great end to 2024!

Wednesday 11th December

This week Winton Court was filled with fun and laughter as everyone embraced the Christmas spirit. Everyone chatted happily and the children shared their Christmas lists with their older friends. We began the day with a special treat as the children gave mince pies to the residents!  They were a big hit and heightened the excitement.

Some of the children had brought gifts from home to give to the residents.  They were overwhelmed by thi, and it brought many happy smiles. The tables were filled with Christmas crafts and together the residents and children made some amazing creations. We made Christmas trees and pictures of Santa Claus. Everyone worked together to decorate paper plates and decorate pine cones.

We finished our day with some Christmas dancing and our older friends enjoyed joining in. As this was the last visit before Christmas for this group of children, everyone said a big goodbye to one another and a Merry Christmas.

Monday 2nd December

Today the children thoroughly embraced the Christmas spirit. The Christmas tunes were playing and everyone helped to make decorations which we placed onto the Christmas tree. Once finished we marvelled at how beautiful the decorations looked.

One of our older friends is an amazing artist and loves nothing more than showing off his skills to the children. Today he drew an amazing dinosaur and Christmas tree. The children and residents also enjoyed playing games and jigsaws which was a huge interest today.

One of our residents is amazing at making paper aeroplanes and the children did not let him forget it! The children enjoyed designing their paper and then our special older friend folded the sides to create the plane. We then had aeroplanes flying everywhere! The children giggled with excitement as they attempted to throw their aeroplane the furthest.

Wednesday 27th November

This week the children were in full Christmas swing! They chatted to their friends about what presents they are hoping to receive as well as what they would be doing for Christmas. The children engaged in more singing, stories and drawing (with some children deciding to write their Christmas lists).

Everyone’s drawings seemed to be Christmas related with two special friends drawing a Santa together. Everyone is an artist no matter your age!

As engaged as the children were, there was a sudden commotion outside. The children (and our older friends) raced to the window to see what was happening. It was a very brazen squirrel playing in the garden. Everyone was amazed and watched as the squirrel happily searched for food. He even spotted us at the window and really wasn’t bothered by our presence.

We took some very special wooden people with us and everyone was asked if they could draw themselves. The results were amazing! By the end of the day, we had a whole group of wooden figures adorning the mantlepiece.

After all the fun and games, it was time to head back to nursery but the children didn’t want too! They wanted to stay and play. It won’t be too long before we will be back. Goodbye for now!

Monday 18th November

This week the children visited their friends and as we walked in, we were amazed to see the Christmas decorations were going up. There were beautiful golden stars and throughout the day the staff erected Christmas trees decorated with golden baubles and twinkling lights. It is making us all feel rather Christmassy!

The children enjoyed drawing again today but one of our residents had another suggestion. Why don’t we make paper aeroplanes? Some of the children began decorating the paper whilst our very kind resident turned them into aeroplanes and even constructed lots more for the other children.

We had a plan! We would hold a paper aeroplane race but whose plane would fly the farthest? Only time would tell.

After lunch the race was on. Everyone lined up and one at a time we threw our paper aeroplanes. Some of the residents had clearly been practicing as their planes flew quite far. The children threw their planes and everyone cheered each other on. We had two races and both were won by our residents. The children have planned a rematch for next time. Who will win the next round?

Wednesday 13th November

This week the children have really cemented their friendships with the older friends. We have observed the children’s confidence within the space grow hugely and the children now treat it as an extension of our nursery setting. They know where their equipment is stored and are happy to help themselves as well as gathering resources for their friends. The children are able to identify their friends and have now learned their names. For those children who sat back and initially observed their surroundings, they are now independently seeking out others to engage with. The children have shown us that no matter what age we are, we can all come together to play.

One friendship which has blossomed over the last few months is between one of our three year olds and an 88 year old gentleman. Having the same name and having similar interests and personalities has solidified their friendship which began with a handshake. That is now how they greet each other on every trip. they work together and chat about their lives. They have begun to know each other very well.

Wednesday 31st October

This week at the care village it was all about Halloween. The care village had organised a local group of singers to perform whilst we were there. The children enjoyed listening and clapping along to local Geordie songs.

The afternoon was full of Halloween creativity. The children and residents engaged in colouring in activities, making spiders and reading Halloween stories. A great day was had by all!

Monday 21st October

This week saw the children enjoy spending some quality time with their older friends. We have become very aware of the close relationships which are forming between the residents and the children. The children are finding a ‘special friend’ to work with and they have enjoyed sharing stories about their life with them.

This week we introduced small writing/drawing books for each child and resident. This took the residents back to their childhood as they explained to the children that they were like their school and homework books. The children enjoyed drawing inside their books whilst the adults joined in writing short stories and adding drawings to theirs.

Today the children showed off their creative skills by drawing, painting and making hats. The adults supported the children with their designs and helped to cut and stick, adding wobbly eyes, ribbon, pipes cleaners and different paper shapes. Everyone’s imagination ran wild as the hats became more and more elaborate with extra pieces of card and different shaped card added. It began to get a little competitive between the residents as well. The hats became bigger and better throughout the day.

Wednesday 16th October

Today was our Wednesday groups visit to the care village and as usual the children chatted about their day and who they would be working with. When we arrived, we were surprised that everyone was waiting for us and we had some new residents joining us, who were interested in finding out what we do. We spotted our usual friends and immediately got busy. This week we had some different resources as our group are very creative. The children and residents worked together to produce windmills and decorate fish with ribbons and wobbly eyes. The residents really enjoyed supporting the children as these were both fiddly jobs so both generations had to practice their fine motor skills. The finished results were amazing but it was the working together on these activities which showcased the bonds the children and residents have made.

 The children are now becoming even more familiar with the space and enjoyed choosing their own activities, working together and independently. In the afternoon, we continued our work and before leaving we sang some songs together. One of the residents shared a special song with us too. We are still practicing a rather special song which we hope to showcase to our families later next year.

Monday 7th October

This week we revisited our friends at the care village. We were so happy to see so many of the residents waiting for us and some new faces too! We immediately began to get ready for the day, taking off our shoes, jumpers and coats (it does get very warm in there) and then we selected our resources for the day.

Our resident artist was back ready to show off his skills and support the children’s drawing efforts. He amazes us every week with his talents. This week it was all about Christmas - yes a little early but this is what the children have been chatting about. We had Santas, stars and reindeer.

There was lots of hugs all round this week and we ended our day with lots of singing and action songs. We are practising a special song which we plan on showcasing in the future.

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.