November 30, 2022

Field Trip Day for the Intergenerational Connections Program at JRC!

A bus with the children and a bus with the seniors (Grandmas and Grandpas) headed for the Canton Museum of Art for Art Therapy!

Upon arrival both groups gathered outside the museum entrance and worked on a few artistic projects.

Everyone was called to the museum entrance by Dianne Pappas, Therapeutic Arts Coordinator, from the Museum to be guided through the art exhibits - "Thinking with Animals", "Potion Park", "Right Place, Right Time", and "Color Wonder".(CMA Collection)

Everyone enjoyed the exhibits as many walked hand in hand as many questions were asked. Learning that there are so many different kinds of art and artistic expression. 

Art Therapy is designed so that the participants reflect on themes in the artwork and create an image around the experience. In the studio, participants are guided through hands-on art making experiences. The theme is developed from the chosen art piece and the focus of each individual group.

Focusing on the "Thinking with Animals" exhibit, the children and the seniors together created an animal mask art piece in the studio to reflect what they saw in the exhibit.

They shared a sack lunch as they enjoyed eating together.

RECAP  -  JRC just completed our second Field Trip with our Intergenerational Connections Program for Art Therapy at the Canton Museum of Art. Our children and seniors really enjoyed the interaction between them exploring their emotions as they toured the Canton Museum of Art exhibits. They all commented, pointed to and questioned so many pieces. We discussed with the children and the seniors throughout the tour that art is created in many forms differently for each person to create. Following the tour they created their own art pieces in the studio – an animal mask with each pair of a child and a senior while discussing what they wanted the animal to become, colors, etc. This art making experience allowed both generations - the old and the young to come together in the creative process to combine their efforts into one finished art piece.

 

 

 

November 23, 2022

Amanda Crowe was on hand from the Canton Museum of Art to instruct the activity of the day "Grateful Turkeys".

She began by asking everyone what they are grateful for.

She then proceeded with discussing and acting out a turkey gobble, turkey wobble and talking about turkey and fall colors.

The art craft began making the turkeys to hang at home to remind everyone the meaning of Thanksgiving with colorful fun turkeys.

November 9, 2022

Emily Gordon was here today from Artful Living and Learning with "We Are Thankful" as the theme.

She began with a welcome song - Welcome to Dance Class.

What are you thankful for?

Then the motions of making pumpkins and planting a pumpkin patch.

Dancing with small pumpkins.and moving them round the children and grandpas and grandmas.

Dancing to the Turkey Poky Poky!

Bowing to each other to end the dance session.

On their way out singing the "I am Special" song.

November 2, 2022

Lindsay Bonilla as Storyteller was back this with "The Singing/Talking Pumpkin"

A Story Adventure Song was sung by all the grandmas and grandpas and children to get them ready for the introduction of "The Talking Pumpkin".

Lindsay began by showing the globe of our planet and pointing out that the story came from India.

The story included characters of first the Grandma portrayed by one of the senior members. Then the children played the Wolf, Bear, Tiger and Granddaughter characters.

The story was very interactive as everyone responded to the story with sounds, singing and reciting lines directed by the storyteller.

This was very fun and actors were wonderful and very energetic!

 

October 26, 2022

Our Storyteller, Lindsay Bonilla was in the Halloween Season with her story - "Anansi Spiderman from Africa". Whe was wearing a hand made dress she had made for her in Africa.

She brought out her spider Ansansi as everyone together counted his legs - 8 in total!

She proceeded to show her globe with questions about where we live and then where Guyana, Africa was located as we travelled with her where the story.took place.

She chose children to represent all the animals that Ansansi, the Spider visited in his quest to secure many meals for his family.

The Monkey House who was making "chocolate stew" stated the child who played the monkey.

The Rabbit House who was making "chicken nugget, chicken soupy" stated the child who played the rabbit.

The Warthog House who was making " chicken Mc'Donald's stew" stated the child who played the warthog.

The story continued on engaging the children and grandmas and grandpas in questions and answers about all the characters.

 

 

 

October 19, 2022

Yoga Day at JRC Intergenerational Connections Program!  Rhonda Kuster and Kedric Wolfe were on hand to get everyone moving with it being all about Halloween!

Halloween things like scary cats, haunted houses, zombies, witches wands, pumpkin patches, and Dracula were all part of the motions movements and sounds that kept everyone moving and engaged

They ended the session with the tossing of small lightweight pumpkins to the Monster Mash!  Great fun and exercise for all!

They also enjoyed a healthy snack following as the children served the seniors before they served themselves.

October 12, 2022

JRC had a new instructor today from Artful Living and Learning, Emily Gordon. She focuses on dance, but incorporate so much more! The director of Artful Living and Learning was also an observer today, Michele Waalkes as she jumped right in and joined the group by assisting some of the groups with interaction.

Her focus today was "We Are All Special".

We began with the children going around the room to greet the grandmas and grandpas and then the pledge of allegiance.

Emily began her instructions with a welcome song which she sang and the group repeated.  The children circled to wave to the grandmas and grandpas and looked for the similarities and differences with everyone. Everyone is special and different.

She passed out scarves to use for focusing on differences for both groups while dancing with scarves. The children were instructed to show their individual dance moves to their grandmas and grandpas.  What makes each person special.  They asked each other's likes and dislikes to prove the differences.

They all learned a new dance move - Reveron - Reverence - to bow and say thank you and they ended with a Goodbye Song..

Great morning - thank you and welcome to our new instructor!

October 5, 2022

Guest observers today - Libby Doss from the Canton Museum of Art, The Commercial & Savings Bank Representatives and Kent State Students.

Returning for a command performance was our teaching artist Amanda Crowe from the Canton Museum of Art.  Today she taught a "Creative Pumpkin Patch"

She began the class with exercise to get everyone's hands and fingers ready to create the art project.  She even had them practice facial expressions to later use when creating their pumpkins.

The background began with adding colorful squares then rolling on color.  Painting pumpkins, pumpkin faces, and wiggle eyes.

They all used their creativity to make what they were imagining.  One of the children Cameron, announced he was making vampire pumpkins and several other boys joined in to create their own vampire pumpkins. 

The same little boy and the grandma sitting with him both announced he was making a pumpkin for his Mommy and his Grandma to take home and was so excited to tell everybody.  Some children then began announcing who they were making their pumpkins for such as brothers, sisters, mommies, daddies, grandmas and grandpas.

Everyone was engaged in this project and sharing it with their families!

 

September 28, 2022

The teaching artist from the Canton Museum of Art, Amanda Crowe, was with us today with "Sunflower Faces".

We began as always with the children greeting their grandmas and grandpas.  Next the pledge of allegiance.  Followed by Inhaling and exhaling and exercises with fingers and hands to get them ready for their Art Project of the day.

To achieve the background, both the children and the grandmas and grandpas used tissue paper and painted it on their canvas with water.

They preceded to use a stencil and dab paint to create their sunflowers.  They added seeds to the sunflowers to give it that three dimensional look.

What interesting fun art they created!

The children loved the sunflowers so much they  were asked to pass out a silk one as remembrance of their day to each grandma and grandpa and keep one themselves to take home!

 

September 21, 2022

Rhonda Kuster and Kedric Wolfe were the instructors for the Yoga Program today.

The season of "Fall" was the theme as they incorporated stretches from picking apples from the trees to wind blowing leaves to raking leaves - all "Fall" activities.

The Leaves Changing Color Song was added to their Yoga stretching.

Other "Fall" activities included, Scarecrows, the Pumpkin Patch, and making Pumpkin Soup over the fire as the flame rose higher and higher.

A game of Pumpkin toss with little Pumpkins tossed back and forth while stretching and exercising with the children and the grandmas and grandpas together. They even balanced the pumpkins on their heads to practice balance and coordination.

They ended with quiet time and their healthy snack as the children served the grandmas and grandpas first then enjoyed their snack with them.

A morning of exercise while getting into the 'Fall" season - very clever!

 

September 14, 2022

The Pledge of Allegiance started the morning as usual.

Sarah Donnelly was the instructor today for Yoga. 

She brought her famous basket filled with goodies to make the session interesting while exercising.

She started with her bell to have the children and the grandmas and grandpas freeze like a statue. Then came stretching and breathing.

Her use of animal cards really made it interesting as they imitated the movement of animals for both groups.  Some examples were - bunnies and bees.

Picking apples and other fruits from the trees while stretching.

She introduced and discussed the season of Fall with leaves.....

She brought out her basket of instruments so each group could play the instrument while the other group made motions while exercising with Yoga moves.

The morning ended with a healthy snack for all as the children serve the grandmas and grandpas first before they serve themselves.

They 

September 7, 2022

Lindsay Bonilla, storyteller, was our instructor today she presented "The Ram and the Chili Patch from Mexico".

The story began with looking for her son Juan - she could not find him but found Juanita.

Everyone said Ola to her daughter Juanita (chosen from a child from JRC)

Other characters were added Carnaro and Guyo - all characters  chosen from our children and grandpas and grandmas.

Every time she mentioned Chili Peppers from the Chili Patch - everyone had to say spanish words in the story.

The story was so much fun and interactive as motions and spanish words were flowing throughout the story.