A new program that gets seniors and children exercising together is happening in the community thanks to two physical-therapy faculty members at the University of Central Florida.
Grow and Play is an eight-week program designed by Jennifer Tucker and Nicole Dawson that pairs seniors averaging 80 years old and children averaging 9 years old to play games together such as Duck Duck Goose, Egg on a Spoon, Sly Fox, Monkey in the Middle and more. The goal is for participants to become more active and to have positive social experiences, where the adults feel a greater sense of wellbeing and purpose by helping the children, and the kids learn more about aging.
麻豆精品 S淪o far what we 麻豆精品 S檙e seeing is really positive, 麻豆精品 S� said Dawson, an assistant professor of physical therapy. 麻豆精品 S淲e feel if you can enhance the intergenerational bond, you can enhance the community. 麻豆精品 S�
Grow and Play began June 5 and will conclude July 26. Tucker, Dawson and physical-therapy students will analyze data from a week before the program to a week after the program on activity levels, mood and each generation 麻豆精品 S檚 perception of the other. Accelerometers are measuring participants 麻豆精品 S� activity levels, and surveys are measuring changes in moods and perceptions.
麻豆精品 S淐hildren may have older adults in their lives with chronic diseases and that influences their [children 麻豆精品 S檚] thoughts on aging, 麻豆精品 S� said Tucker, a physical-therapy lecturer. 麻豆精品 S淭hey may grow up thinking that 麻豆精品 S檚 how aging is for everyone. We 麻豆精品 S檇 love to change that perception. 麻豆精品 S�
For Bella Seagraves, 8, Grow and Play has showed her that getting older doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 necessarily mean slowing down.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檝e had loads of fun with them [the older adult participants], 麻豆精品 S� Bella said. 麻豆精品 S淎t first I thought they were going to be slow, but then as soon as I played a game with them they were really fast and really fun. 麻豆精品 S�
Jean Walker, 83, joined the first cohort of Grow and Play because she liked the idea of seniors and children being the subjects of research. Plus, it 麻豆精品 S檚 a chance for her to better understand Generation Z.
麻豆精品 S淚 see things differently than the children do, so this is an opportunity for me to find out what the younger people are thinking, 麻豆精品 S� Walker said. 麻豆精品 S淧lus, it gives kids an opportunity to learn what our limitations are and what we did as youngsters. 麻豆精品 S�
Walker played Jacks and Pick-up Sticks as a kid 麻豆精品 S� games the young participants of Grow and Play didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know 麻豆精品 S� so she was able to teach them something new.
Fifteen participants up to 90 years old and as young as 6 years old make up the first cohort of Grow and Play that 麻豆精品 S檚 being held at Wekiva Presbyterian Church, which was donated for use of the program twice a week. Most of the adult participants are residents of Village on the Green retirement community, which UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 physical-therapy program has partnered with in the past for student clinical affiliations, balance and fall screenings for residents and more. The children participants were recruited by word of mouth, mostly through the church.
A nearly $5,000 grant from the Learning Institute for Elders at UCF gave Tucker and Dawson enough funds to get their idea for Grow and Play off the ground.
麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 definitely potential for this program to grow, and we 麻豆精品 S檇 love to see this be something that 麻豆精品 S檚 running year-round, 麻豆精品 S� Dawson said. 麻豆精品 S淲e hope to eventually be able to give this to other community organizations so they can run it on their own. 麻豆精品 S�
Tucker and Dawson are searching for other grants and community support to expand Grow and Play. They intend to publish results by the end of the year of the first cohort, which could fill a gap that exists in scientific literature on intergenerational connections and physical activity.
To the originators 麻豆精品 S� knowledge, Grow and Play is the first of its kind.