Who says you’re too old to play? Part of Growing Bolder is staying active, moving more and remembering to embrace fun and joy every day. And now, what could be a breakthrough program at the University of Central Florida is helping build intergenerational relationships that lead to a win-win situation: kids who aren’t afraid of getting older and adults who are encouraged to get and stay healthy.
Grow and Play is part of the IMOVE LAB at the UCF, and is funded in part through the LIFE @ UCF Richard Tucker Applied Gerentology grant. The program is the brainchild of two UCF faculty members — one who specializes in geriatrics and one who specializes in pediatrics. Older adults teach kids how to play old-school games like Kick the Can, Egg on a Spoon and Parachute. There’s no technology, and that’s by design.
Not only does this help everyone involved get more active, it shows kids who often only see older people as sick or frail what healthy aging can look like. This is one of the most important and powerful lessons they can learn because beliefs system about aging are formed in our youth and help inform the way we age in later life.
Plus, as everyone in the Grow and Play program will tell you — it’s fun!
