At Little Bramingham Farm, our Luton-based residential care home, the residents and care team have been having a wonderful time celebrating this year’s Global Intergenerational Week with their fun, interactive and engaging fortnightly, term-time, activity for their residents –intergenerational Musical Bumps.
The intergenerational sessions are run by Musical Bumps Central Bedfordshire, a small business which runs music groups with singing and fun for babies, toddlers and preschoolers with their parents and carers in a range of settings, one of which is care homes. The group visits Little Bramingham Farm every other Wednesday during school term times for a fun, inclusive and inspiring intergenerational Musical Bumps class.
“The Musical Bumps Team has been coming to Little Bramingham Farm for over two years now,” said Emma Lawrance, the Registered Manager at Little Bramingham Farm said: “The interactive sessions are a really wonderful sociable and uplifting activity for the residents to engage with and they all thoroughly enjoy and look forward to the time they spend with the toddlers.”
The fortnightly Musical Bumps sessions both energize and inspire the residents. “Interacting with the children, their parents and carers is a wonderful reminiscing exercise as well,” added Karen Charity, the Activities Coordinator at the care home. “The residents think it’s so lovely to interact with the group and you can see their faces light up when everyone arrives.
“The residents embrace spending time with the children and being able to bring the younger and older generations together in a creative way on a regular basis is delightful to see. The care home becomes even more lively, and seeing the group all making music together, playing instruments, singing, dancing, watching the puppet shows and taking part in activities such as bubble art is great.”
Each week the Musical Bumps class includes traditional songs and rhymes, playing instruments, singing with puppets, movement in time with action songs and dancing and so much more. “Alex who runs the session always makes sure that each week there is something for everyone – and of every generation – to take part in, get involved and enjoy,” added Emma.
“There is so much joy in the room during Musical Bumps and they often talk about their own families growing up and their school years. They are quite fond of the bubble machine too and are smiling ear to ear from the time they arrive to the time they leave,” concluded Karen.
Find out more about Little Bramingham Farm care home by calling 01582 582 433 or emailing enquiries@fote.org.uk.