With the recent playing of Old People’s Home for Four Year Olds on the ABC, there has been much talk about the benefits of integrating Kindergarten into aged care homes. Shine Bright Neale Street North Kindergarten has been visiting the Mirridong Nursing Home for several years now on a monthly basis. Providing both the residents and children with an experience that benefits everyone outside their normal setting.
“We are very excited to offer this activity as part of our kindergarten program” said Nominated Supervisor Claire Murphy. “Each month we spend time singing, dancing and colouring in with the residents of Mirridong”.
There has been much hype recently about the benefits to the elderly, when visited regularly by kindergarten students. This has mostly come about thanks to the social experiment documented by the ABC in their recent television program Old People’s Home for Four Year Olds, which supported bringing together elderly people in a retirement community with a group of 4-year-olds.
“All the residents enjoy our visits, and you can see it on their faces as they light up when we walk in; the children have also become much less shy, growing in confidence and engaging more. The benefits to families and the community through this activity is the biggest reward.”
Shine Bright Neale Street North Kindergarten plans to continue with this ground breaking activity and hopes that the relationships established between the children and the elderly continues long after the children continue to school in the following year.