Valentine ideas for children visiting nursing homes
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Our elderly are former mothers and fathers. Even though they are advanced in years, they still have the need for love. Children serve as great "ambassadors" to show, express and convey love. Especially on Valentine's Day. Use ideas that show and demonstrate the power of love, expressed from the heart and soul of children. Have children give simple gifts like handcrafted art to staff members at the nursing home to demonstrate a show of love for the care they provide for our elderly loved ones.
Does this Spark an idea?
Secret Valentine
This idea can be used as a classroom project, an idea to engage children at churches, community centers or right within the neighborhood. Contact the human resources and managers of nearby nursing homes and discuss the idea. Involve and get their permission to have children serve as a "Secret Valentine" for the nursing home residents. Get names of residents and put them on slips of paper and have the children draw a name. Ask for clues from the nursing home management staff as to what would make an appropriate gift for the residents. Have children purchase the gifts and present to the resident by hosting a Secret Valentine Gift event.
Valentine Tree
Have children come into the nursing home one week before Valentine's Day to install and decorate a Valentine's Tree. Have the children spray paint a fake Christmas tree white to create the tree. Make paper cutouts of hearts to use as the decorations. Use the tree to decorate a room where residents gather, like the dining room and reception areas. Have the children put their signature on the heart designs they create to decorate the tree.
Valentine Love Song Caroling
Create a variation on Christmas caroling. Teach children love songs from to sings to nursing home residents. The children can go through the halls and stop by each room to sing love songs sung or written by artists ranging from Oscar Hammerstein to Dolly Parton, Burt Bacharach to Carrie Underwood and Beyonce. With each stop have a child give the residents hand-signed hearts to decorate their rooms.
Valentine Talent Show
Coordinate a children's talent show for the nursing home residents to enjoy. Children can incorporate poetry, songs and dance to entertain the guests. Borrow from concepts that children are familiar with to structure the show like "American Idol" and "America's Got Talent." Kids can dress and mimic songs from famous love-song artists like Barry Manilow to Barry White. Have the residents of the nursing home vote for the winners. Make ballots shaped like hearts. Give cookies to the child talent show winners and have them select a special love song to sing as a group ensemble piece to the nursing home residents at the end of the talent show. Invite staff members and family members to attend.
Read Me a Love Song
Love song lyrics are often sung but not so often spoken. But they incorporate words of love that can provide additional meaning as spoken words. Find out the age span of nursing home residents from the management. Then have the adult in charge of organizing the visit select appropriate songs from periods that will resonate with guests. Have the children practice reading the lyrics, as if they are a poem. Songs can range from poignant torch songs to popular Broadway shows to blues and Top 40 songs of today. Stage a "Love Song Poetry" event that can be held in a public gathering room and individually and privately to residents.
Tags: nursing home, home residents, nursing home residents, Have children, nursing homes, Secret ValentineSource: www.ehow.com
