'It's just beautiful': Artful Living bonds preschoolers, seniors through play, learning

Amy L. Knapp
Updated ·4 min read
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Brielle Hall, 5, and Don Hamilton place the letter H on their heads during an Artful Living and Learning intergenerational class at the Massillon Museum earlier this month.
Brielle Hall, 5, and Don Hamilton place the letter H on their heads during an Artful Living and Learning intergenerational class at the Massillon Museum earlier this month.

MASSILLON – Brielle Hall twirled around.

The 5-year-old took the hands of her "grandma" and danced.

Each Friday for the past six months, a group of Massillon preschool students and their parents or guardians have been meeting with residents of Danbury Senior Living at the Massillon Museum as part of the Artful Living and Learning program.

Every session begins and ends with hugs.

"Who doesn't love a preschooler hug?" Michele Waalkes, Artful Living and Learning direcotr, asked as she watched Brielle and fellow Massillon preschoolers interact with the seniors earlier this month.

The program, founded in 2008 by Christopher Craft and Wilbur Arnold through their affiliation at the museum, uses dance, drama, music, literacy arts and visual arts lessons to teach Ohio Early Learning and Development Standards to preschoolers across Stark County. The program is under the umbrella of the Stark County Educational Service Center.

Artful Living serves 24 Stark County public schools and other affiliated preschools. The program is based on research showing arts immersion in preschool classrooms not only improves academic achievement and creative problem-solving but also prepares students for kindergarten.

Emily Gordon, a teaching artist with Artful Living and Learning program, teaches an intergenerational class at the Massillon Museum.
Emily Gordon, a teaching artist with Artful Living and Learning program, teaches an intergenerational class at the Massillon Museum.

Artful Living program expands in Stark County

This year, the Artful Living program expanded its intergenerational lessons pairing the preschoolers with senior citizens in Massillon and Canton. A two-year Ohio Arts Council grant supports the program.

The program is a win-win for both the seniors and preschoolers.

Stephanie Gutierrez, 5, dances with Rosemary Triplett during an Artful Living and Learning intergenerational class at the Massillon Museum.
Stephanie Gutierrez, 5, dances with Rosemary Triplett during an Artful Living and Learning intergenerational class at the Massillon Museum.

The seniors — who may be facing social isolation — get a chance to get out of their residences and experience the excitement and fun of the younger generation, Waalkes said.

The preschoolers get to experience the older generation, which some may not have interaction with. They call the seniors "grandma" and "grandpa."

"It's just beautiful," Waalkes said. "Everybody lights up and the kids love the attention."

The intergenerational program is not mandatory. Massillon preschoolers, who do not attend class on Friday, come with their guardians.

Waalkes has seen both the students and residents grow as the kids have become more comfortable with the seniors and their mobility devices.

'We've seen the benefits of attending.'

When Brielle's mother, Dixie Hall, learned about the program she thought it would be a good opportunity for her daughter to make new friends.

"She was a little bit shy at first but now she loves the grandmas and grandpas," Dixie Hall said. "We've seen the benefits of attending. We are very sad that it's over."

Asked why she likes coming back to meet with the senior citizens, Brielle answered, "Because they make me happy."

Danbury resident Ann Renkert echoed Hall.

"I really enjoyed it. I'm just sad it's over," she said. "I really enjoyed seeing their children. They run up to you and say hello."

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Joanie Christoff loved seeing the excitement in the children while interacting with them.

"I love kids," the former GlenOak teacher said. "They are precious."

Teresa Gregg, regional director for life enrichment at Danbury, said the experience has been a blessing for the residents who built relationships with the youngsters. Each week, they learned more about the kids and enjoyed interacting with them.

"It's been wonderful to see the relationships blossom from month to month," she said. "The children interacting with the residents, the smiles, hugs and working together on the lessons. I really don't know who has more fun — the residents, preschoolers or parents who smile with such joy. These meaningful connections between young and old are so beautiful and authentic."

Brielle Hall, 5, gets a hug from Jackie Gardner at the end of an Artful Living and Learning intergenerational class at the Massillon Museum.
Brielle Hall, 5, gets a hug from Jackie Gardner at the end of an Artful Living and Learning intergenerational class at the Massillon Museum.

Emily Gordon, a teaching artist with the Artful Living and Learning program, led the participants through several activities, including rhyming and matching. Each student and seniors had a letter. Kids were asked to match up with the senior who had their letter.

Massillon Museum Director Alexandra Nicholis Coon praised the program.

"Having been at the Massillon Museum when Artful Living originated in 2008, and knowing it was conceived as a 'cradle to grave' program, it is beautiful to witness its evolution to include the intergenerational component," she said. "It has been transformative for all involved."

The program opened up opportunities for the Danbury residents. Besides meeting the preschoolers, the seniors were able to explore the museum and the programs it has to offer, Gregg said.

The seniors are members of Danbury's memory care community, she added.

While this year's program is over, Gregg said the preschoolers and their families visited Danbury for Easter and are invited to an ice cream social in May.

"We wanted them to be able to visit our home," she said.

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Artful Living program pairs seniors and preschoolers