To celebrate World Book Day, children from Back to the Garden Childcare, in Lymm, Cheshire, visited residents at neighbouring Statham Manor Care Centre for an inter-generational afternoon of fun and storytelling.
Dressed as characters from their favourite books, including Supergirl, the Gruffalo and Mog the Cat, the group of eight children were accompanied by the nursery manager and practitioners, bringing with them a selection of books to read with the residents.
Statham Manor residents gathered in the lounge to greet the three- and four-year-olds and together, young and old spent the afternoon reading, proving that age is no object when it comes to a love for books.
The afternoon was great fun for all; with residents from Statham Manor enthralling the children reading from their favourite books and sharing memories of their childhood. The pre-school children loved showing off their costumes and delighted the residents with their tales from nursery.
Farai Hanyane, registered manager at Statham Manor, said: “Over the course of the last two months, since the care home opened, we have welcomed several residents so it was lovely to host a fun afternoon for them with the children from Back to the Garden Childcare.
“With the nursery situated next door to Statham Manor, the World Book Day visit will be the first of many inter-generational events hosted at the home, which we know have an incredibly positive impact on the residents and their wellbeing.
“You are never too old to enjoy a good story and seeing the residents read with the children was lovely; they loved learning about the little ones’ favourite characters and were thrilled to share stories and memories from their childhood.”
Statham Manor resident, Bill Hall, aged 82, added: “I have always loved books and still enjoy reading, so it was a real joy to see the children today dressed up as characters from their favourite books and share stories with them.”
Alison O’Connor-Limb, nursery manager at Back to the Garden, commented: “It is so important that children respect and understand the elderly people in our community. The best way to teach this is for the young and old to have contact, and enjoy time in each other’s company. World Book Day was a great example of this.
