Intergenerational Programming
We are a community.
Young and old, hand in hand, heart to heart.
Intergenerational programming offers a powerful opportunity to foster meaningful, everyday connections between children and older adults, enriching both generations through shared experiences, mutual respect, and responsive relationships. Rather than limiting these moments to occasional, planned visits where seniors passively observe, we’re exploring what’s possible when interactions are naturally embedded into daily routines. With support from a private trust that began in November 2021, Andrew Fleck Children’s Services is collaborating with the Council on Aging of Ottawa, Families Canada, and other partners to develop and showcase best practices in intergenerational early learning and care across three unique settings:
- Mooney’s Bay IELC, community based in Riverside Park.
- Capital Child Care Centre, neighborhood based in collaboration with Trinity Anglican Church.
- Perley Health, co-located as part of a senior’s village, including long-term care (coming soon).
This initiative is about more than programming—it’s about recognizing and honouring the rights, voices, and dignity of children and seniors. Our goal is to build inclusive, caring communities and share what we learn along the way to inspire broader adoption of this approach.
What Does Intergenerational Programming Look Like?
Kevin is four and has discovered that Mike with the sleepy eyes and the white moustache, used to be a fire department captain. Wow! Now Kevin is drawing pictures of fire trucks. He loves listening to Mike’s stories. Curtis, the Registered Early Childhood Educator, is arranging for a field trip to the fire hall for some of the children, including Mike. In the meantime, the two friends are working their way through every fire engine puzzle that Curtis can find. Mike and Kevin, another grand-friend, are figuring out how they can build some wooden model fire engines, using some of the cool tools borrowed from the community Tool Library.
Aisha is just 3 years old, but she knows she will be seeing Mrs. Morrisey today. Mrs. Morrisey reminds her of her Grandma Mariam who still lives in Turkey. Aisha really enjoys the stories that Mrs. Morrisey tells her about when she was a child. Aisha and Mrs. Morrisey enjoy having tea parties with all of the dollies at the early learning and care centre. Mrs. Morrisey appreciates her time with Aisha, because she misses her own grandchildren whom she only sees on FaceTime.
