On Thursday 26th September, mums and babies from Tots Play Okehampton, Tavistock & Crediton visited Kent House Care home in Okehampton to take part in a very special inter-generational session organised by the business owner, Sarah Cole.

Cole runs Tots Play classes for babies and toddlers in Okehampton, Tavistock and Crediton which feature a mix of activities including baby yoga, baby signing, sensory play, music and instruments, movement activities and lots more. Cole organised the session at Kent House to give the residents the opportunity to spend time with and interact with the babies and their mums, and get involved in the wide range of activities too.

“My grandmother has dementia and lives in a nursing home, and I’ve seen how she transforms when she’s around my two year old son. From when he was a baby , she would light up when she saw him and always remembered who he was, though she struggles a lot with her memory now. The range of activities we offer is perfect for engaging with both younger and older age groups, so I thought it would be a lovely idea to get them together to have some fun.” says Cole.

The session was a huge success, with many residents who were previously apprehensive enjoying getting involved with watching the babies, playing instruments, singing and much more.

Cole said: “It was such a great atmosphere – all of the residents smiled the whole way through the session and were so animated when talking to the babies and their mums. It was genuinely heart-warming to see.”

Staff and residents from Kent House in Okehampton drove the mini-bus down to Paignton and caught the steam train to Kingswear. After a bit of train spotting they took a boat over to beautiful Dartmouth for a wander around, and a couple of Gin and Tonics!