Riverina Gums Retirement Village and Goodstart Early Learning Glenfield Park have joined forces to prove that age is no barrier to fun and friendship.
A joint initiative has seen pre-school children making monthly visits to their more senior neighbours for learning and laughter.
Riverina Gums Village Manager Ann Baker said the initiative is a wonderful way for the young and not-so-young to interact in a positive way.
“It has been a great partnership between the two centres, which both the children and residents enjoy,” Ann said.
Early Childhood Teacher Claire Lane, who takes a group of around 20 kids aged between four and five years to the village once a month, said the aims of the initiative were simple.
“Our main goal is to get our children out into the community and to increase their social skills through interacting with people they might not normally see in everyday life,” Claire said.
“We take over some books, memory or card games, small puzzles, or drawing materials, and at Easter we took over some biscuits the kids had made.”
The benefits for everybody involved are equally straightforward.
“It’s just a huge benefit for both the residents and the kids,” Claire said.
“They both get a lot out of it, and it’s really special as a lot of our kids don’t have grandparents or extended families, and it’s nice for residents to have people visit them as well.”
“It’s positive all round!”
