Has anyone seen ‘Old People’s Homes for 4-Year-Olds’? KiddieCare Nurseries has worked on introducing a new initiative based on the programme after it has received rave reviews. The scheme originally started in the USA and made its way over to the UK in around 2017. It has been found to be beneficial for both the youngest and oldest of generations to spend time together taking part in activities such as singing, cooking, and arts&crafts.
Picture the scene. A group of three and four-year-olds enters a care home, apprehensive and curious… What do they find? A lot of apprehensive and curious adults staring back at them. But these people look kind of old. They look like they could be grandparents. Some of the children think: “My grandma is fun to play games with”... “I wish I had a grandpa like my friend, Sonia does”. Likewise, it’s not only the children having these thoughts. “My family emigrated to Australia, oh how I miss my little grandson”... “I never wanted to have children when I was younger. I’m still happy I made that decision but I do wish I had more family around me, I feel young again.”
The older generation sometimes feel isolated from the community and it’s not fair, it’s not right. We need to embrace those who are wiser and more knowledgeable. The isolation results in a terribly lonely generation and this needs to change. KiddieCare is actively targeting this loneliness by bridging the gap between the two generations and helping merge a community back together. This is where our little ones make a difference. They’re bright and energetic, innocent and naive, all they want is to have fun. Whatever the age!
We are currently trialing and rolling out this initiative with KiddieCare Ashdown, based in Hillingdon. Parkfield House Nursing Home is only a short walk away from the nursery, and they have embraced this initiative with open arms and thoroughly enjoy our visits during the half term holidays. We have now visited Parkfield House three times in the past few months and have taken part in a range of activities which I can safely say both parties loved! Our Ashdown manager expresses: “It is so lovely to see all the residents taking part in the activities and enjoying them with the children”. Likewise, parents of the nursery children have also said that they are so pleased KiddieCare has welcomed this initiative and they are genuinely upset if their child is unable to attend the session!
We are already looking forward to heading back to Parkfield House very soon and KiddieCare is in the process of rolling this initiative out amongst our other nurseries.
P.S If you haven’t watched the programme yet then please click the link below to find an episode: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/old-peoples-home-for-4-year-olds
