We are Friends: Bridging the age gap
In 2022, ‘We are Friends’ (funded by Waltham Forest Council) successfully bridged the gap between some of Waltham Forest’s youngest and oldest residents.
The Together Project and Chit Chat Pitter Pat linked 65 children in Early Years Foundation Settings (EYFS) with 52 older people living in some of the borough’s care homes. The project fostered connections through the exchange of activities and built long lasting, meaningful intergenerational friendships.
Little ones got to know of the joy older people can bring - the stories, the wisdom, the fun. And older people got the pleasure of regularly interacting with the children (bringing joy, just by being themselves).
Our participants ranged in age from 1 to 104, and together they exchanged three activities.
Activity 1
Part 1 All about me
For the first task, the challenge was to create a self-portrait on a paper plate. Little ones were encouraged to look in the mirror - Cassie noted her “triangle and square shaped teeth, her one nose and peachy brown hair”.
They then wrote about all about their favourites (colours/foods/animals/stories) and described what each of them looked like.
"We used Kind Khalil to talk about how we all look different and the importance of being kind and respectful to each other." - EYFS staff
“The project provoked conversation about residents as individuals, their likes, dislikes etc which sparked off memories about the past. It is always a privilege to be part of these meaningful conversations. The activity was also very light hearted and fun so there was plenty of laughter. The resources provided were fantastic and appropriate for our residents to use”
- Care Home Activity Coordinator
Activity 1
Part 2 Guess Who?
Once they received the paper plate portraits from their linked setting, it was time to play a good old game of Guess Who?
Groups gathered to share the artwork and talk through the information sheets they received. They had so much fun trying to guess which portrait matched which information.
Activity 2 - Kindness
The next task challenged participants to think about kindness.
Little ones and older people were asked to have a think about some of the kind things they could do for each other. Turns out there’s quite a lot! Residents at George Mason Lodge made a raincloud cushion for children at Footsteps Nursery in Leytonstone. In return, the children sent bookmarks and ice lollies for the residents on a hot summer’s day.
Activity 3 - Celebrate friendship
For the third activity, Kind Khalil introduced the topic, “picnics are a great way for friends and communities to come together to celebrate lots of different things!"
Little ones and residents were asked to either make something to send to their friends they could use at a celebratory picnic, or if they felt comfortable, invite their friends for a face-to-face picnic. Unfortunately, Covid restrictions in care homes limited face-to-face meetings but George Mason Lodge very kindly shared their ‘Duckling Experience’ with Footsteps Nursery. The photos say it all!
Legacy
Everyone was sent a certificate for taking part in ‘We are friends’.
Older people - for creating amazing artwork for their new younger friends, for being involved in multi-age shared learning and for helping to develop their younger friend's creative and language skills.
The little ones - for creating amazing artwork for their new older friends, for spreading multi-age magic in their community and for being kind and bringing joy to others.
The legacy of ‘We are Friends’ was hugely important to all involved. 100% of settings (both EYFS and care homes) thought that ‘We are Friends’ bought happiness to their setting, and care homes rated the likelihood of continuing their relationship with their linked setting as 5 out of 5.
Highlights
Making a link with the wider community is especially important to broaden young children’s understanding of the world around them.
"Having kind Khalil taking part in most activities puts a smile on our residents faces and it prompts the interaction." - Care home Activities Coordinator
Want to find out more - or how we could spread multi-age magic in your neighbourhood? Please email louise@thetogetherproject.org.uk