How to Make Your Facility
Friendlier for Kids

Seniors enjoy receiving visits from children. However, with wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, and beeping noises, a senior facility can be quite a scary place for a little one.

Consider making a few adjustments that will make your facility more fun and less scary. Here are a few ideas that will help you make your facilty a bit more welcoming to the little ones:

Use Balloons. Add more color to your facility’s entryway with balloons. In fact, on days in which you expect to see more children (Saturdays and Sundays), blow up lots of balloons to keep at the front desk. Hand out the balloons to visiting kids.

Create a Treasure Chest. Set up a large box that is filled with objects or toys for kids. Take your excess crafts, unwanted bingo prizes, and donated items and place them in the treasure box for kids to take whenever they come for a visit (similar to the treasure chest found at the dentist’s office.)

Invite Kids to Perform Activities. Coordinate fun kids’ activities, which your residents would enjoy watching. For instance, set up a fun kickball game in the backyard, or rope off an area in the parking lot for kids to ride their bikes.

Schedule Intergenerational Activities. Encourage residents to perform activities with their grandchildren, like baking cookies with Grandma or Grandpa.

Host a Story Time on Saturday Mornings. Borrow children’s books from your local library for a weekly story hour in your facility on Saturday mornings. Recruit one of your best readers to read to the kids.

Related: How to Create Successful Intergenerational Activities for Your Residents