A HUSH descended upon a group of Solihull nursery children when a care home resident read stories to them.
As part of National Storytelling Week, which runs from January 30 to February 6, children from the Mad Hatters Nursery paid a visit to Blossomfield Grange, on Worcester Way to hear a re-telling of The Gingerbread Man.
Resident Stanley Fisher read the book with the children who joined in the tale’s famous line ‘Run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me – I’m the gingerbread man’.
The 98-year-old said: “It was so lovely to be able to the children and to share this story with them.
“It was wonderful to hear how they have learnt some of the words to the story so quickly.”
Care UK, which Blossomfield Grange is part of, has created the Bedtime Stories initiative which sees residents across the UK read classic bedtime stories to young children to mark the national initiative.
The campaign, which includes the launch of four free videos of residents reading famous stories, ensures children who may not have a grandparent do not miss out on a magical tale before bedtime.
Jo Hopkins, director of community relations at Blossomfield Grange, said: “We’ve had a wonderful week of storytelling here at Blossomfield Grange.
“Whether it’s Peter Pan flying us to Neverland or Alice taking us down the rabbit hole, children’s literature is often the first key to unlocking our imaginations and nurturing a lifelong love of reading – so it was great to welcome Mad Hatters Nursery children to Blossomfield Grange.
“Intergenerational relationships and initiatives, just like this one, can be incredibly beneficial to both younger and older people alike and can provide residents with a sense of wellbeing and purpose.
“It has been heart-warming to see the residents share stories from their own childhood and read a telling of The Gingerbread Man, with the children. We look forward to welcoming the children back to Blossomfield Grange very soon.”
