Virtual Songs & Smiles by national charity The Together Project is a music group aimed at 0-4 year olds, their grown-ups and older people, held online and beamed into care homes and sheltered housing schemes.
Sing, move, play, make friends and have lots of fun!
National Intergenerational Week (8th-14th March) is an online campaign celebrating ideas, moments and opportunities where different age groups come together and intergenerational friendships are made.
With a difficult winter drawing to a close, national charity The Together Project is offering one free Virtual Songs & Smiles session to care homes during National Intergenerational Week. The joy-filled initiative will spread cheer, reduce loneliness and make heartwarming multi-age connections across the UK.
Designed by experts and structured around key themes of Speeds/Volume, Beats, Actions and Movement. Playing instruments, tapping out rhythms, popping bubbles, waving colourful scarves – there’s lots to keep everyone entertained!
The sessions are very flexible and can be held for a number of residents in a communal lounge or for individual residents in their own rooms (in a group session with other homes).
Songs & Smiles has a range of proven benefits for older people living in care settings, including:
- Uplift in mood and happiness levels
- Improvements in motor skills and physical abilities
- Improvements in verbal and communication skills for those living with dementia
- Increased opportunities to interact with others, reducing loneliness and isolation
- Increased sense of ‘something to look forward to’
“Residents will continue to feel the magical effect of a Virtual Songs & Smiles
Session throughout the rest of their day!”
Louise Goulden, Founder & CEO, The Together Project
“It was so good to be able to see the children and it was very clever!”. Care home resident
“Isn’t it lovely the children can still play together” Care home resident
“Normally residents would go out and about into the community, engaging and connecting with people, but this past year it hasn’t been possible. Songs & Smiles is a way for them to bridge the generational divide and bring children into the home.
“What we enjoyed most was the connection. It was the first time some residents had seen children for over a year! Songs & Smiles is the perfect name for it, we sang songs and the residents had the biggest smiles. It was so lovely to see. We talked about it after the session on our Zoom calls to families. Some of the families even wanted to get involved”
Sharon Lewis, Activities Coordinator at Hazelgrove Court Care Home
So get your bubbles and maracas at the ready,
and come and join the party!
To get involved care homes can visit https://www.thetogetherproject.co.uk/virtual-songs-and-smiles-niw and will receive full information on how to sign up to the free session. The free sessions are available on a first- come, first-served basis and The Together Project anticipates high demand, so early booking is strongly advised.
The Together Project has posted about their Virtual Songs & Smiles sessions in their social media campaign #VirtualSongsandSmiles
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