Warwick Daycare Intergenerational Programs

Participating Agencies: Warwick Day Care Center & Mt. Alverno Assisted Living Home.

WDC age group: 3-4yr. olds Activities: Small groups will go upstairs to the Mt. Alverno Rec. room. Amy will have one activity planned per week and WDC Staff will have one activity planned per week. A total of 2 activities will go on during this time period. The children and residents should have choice of either activity.

WDC age group: Infants. Activities: Infants may go up in carriages and visit with the residents during the residents’ “down” time allowing for them to talk, sing, and recite nursery rhymes to the children.

WDC age group: Toddlers (2-3yrs. Old) Activities: The children will go upstairs to the Mt. Alverno rec. room for short stories with children and residents. The toddlers will run a circle time with songs, finger plays, nursery rhymes, and circle time activities, allowing for residents to participate and bring a new perspective to the circle time.

WDC age group: 4-6 yr. olds. Activities: The whole group will go up to the Mt. Alverno rec. room for cooking and baking, arts and crafts, songs, finger plays, stories, and seasonal projects. Different activities should be set up each Friday allowing for small group work and a gathering together into one large group again at the end to wrap up (song/story time).

Benefits of Intergenerational Programs

by Rhea Joyce Rubin (1999)

For Children:

• promotes personal relationships with elders (grandparent substitutes)
• develops prosocial behaviors
• fosters positive attitudes toward aging and the lifecycle
• increases empathy
• provides unconditional acceptance and emotional support
• promotes understanding of physical disabilities
• offers the opportunity to learn skills and wisdom of another generation
• stimulates the senses
• provides mentors, role models

For older adults:

• fosters personal relationship with a child
• positive, fulfilling use of retirement time
• reduces isolation and loneliness through social contact
• stimulates the senses
• provides unconditional acceptance and emotional support
• improves self-esteem
• offers the opportunity to share a lifetime of experience and skills
• provides chance for reminiscence