In October, during a big event for older persons in Athens, the Best Friends Toolkit was piloted. Children (4-5 year-olds) and older persons got together, to enjoy a creative workshop, as well as some sports activities.
First, they created a landscape of flowers, with each participant drawing a petal, while collaborating with other participants. The result was colourful and all participants were really proud of it!
Then, despite the unkind weather, the participants went outside, to learn how to play ping-pong, and how to shoot a basketball. An older participant stated that they hadn’t felt like a child in a long time, and were surprised to see that they could still play and learn athletic skills!
In October and the beginning of November 2022, we also piloted the IO2 handbook, with caregivers, educators, and social workers. These professionals, some working with small children, and other with older adults, expressed a lot of interest in the handbook, as most didn’t have a lot of experience on intergenerational activities and learning. The exchange of ideas, opinions, and experiences during the piloting sessions fostered interest and motivation among the participants, to take the knowledge learned and apply it to organize activities, as well as share the handbook with their colleagues. The feedback on the handbook and piloting was overwhelmingly positive.
