May 24, 2023
The Canton Museum of Art was inhouse today at JRC with Amanda Crow and Kara Kanish with a Patriotic Theme for Memorial Day.
We began with the Pledge of Allegiance which fit into the theme of the day perfectly.
They began with talking about and asking questions about Memorial Day and what it means to everyone.
They also had everyone motion and discuss the look and design of the American Flag.
Next began with each child and senior making their own look and design of the American Flag to take home and hang.
When everyone was finished the children requested to do a Patriotic Parade so they participated in their own Memorial Day Parade. The children paraded as the seniors held up and waived their flags.
Each group posed for a photo of the pride they had making their own American Flag! What patriotism at JRC today!
May 17. 2023
Today was Yoga with Rhonda Kuster and Kedric Wolfe with the theme "Spring has Sprung".
After the Pledge of Allegiance they began with breathing exercises incorporating animals sounds such as bees buzzing - "Bumble Bee Breath".
Seating movement with shaking hands, arms, legs and everything.
A "Spring has Sprung" song where everyone was singing while movement continued at the same time.
The instructors passed out flowers where more motion continued using the flowers to stimulate the idea of Spring.
Motions of birds flying and then waking up from hibernation of animals which happens in the Spring. Tree pose for balance yoga and then large cotton balls balancing on their heads and playing catch with more movement.
Raindrops were in motion with the light stomping of the feet, hopping like a frog and then the boat pose.
Finally the children saying good buy to the seniors with making a heart and lots of hugs.
May 10, 2023
Today was a field trip to the Canton Museum of Art for Art Therapy with Dianne Paper. Assisting her today was our very own monthly instructor Amanda Crowe.
Once arriving on the buses, we began with the museum tour - Finding Home: Four Artists' Journeys - This exhibition features compelling visual memoirs inspired by person a journeys through tie and place in search of home. Three master illustrators bring the immigration experience to life in images and words that give voice to the complex emotional realities of traveling to America and adapting to a new world. Artists: Frances Jetter, David Macaulay, James McMullan, and Yuri Morales.
Both the children and seniors enjoyed all the art pieces that were telling a story and some seniors were reading the story to the children.
Dianne sat everyone down int he museum to read one of the books - a children's non-fiction book. "Dreamers" by Yuri Morales where she quizzed the children and seniors about learning and reviewing the terms such as immigration (immigrant), migration, etc.,. The book discussed that the immigrants made many of mistakes being new to a new land and even being unfamiliar with the language. Making mistakes is ok when trying new things. The children and seniors were pointing to the art in the gallery that matched the story which really kept them excited about the story.
Next everyone went into the art room for the art project of the day with creating a story book and using your imagination by creating your own story. The project stimulated interaction between the seniors and the children as they worked together.
A sack lunch was served for all to celebrate a great morning of art therapy and creativity!
May 3, 2023
Rachel Bennett and Andrew Potter from the Stark County Library were our program for the morning with the them of "Imagination".
They began with reading "A Squiggly Story".
They then distributed books to each table of either a senior and a child or two seniors and a child. These books had no words so the groups were to create their own story that the book was telling. The staff and volunteers got them started and then their imaginations began to continue. They switched book again to continue with a new story to create. What a great idea!
The second book they read was "Beautiful Oops".
Finally the activity was introduced where items were draw on the page and they each had to use their imagination to create what they saw in the picture
Creativity with their imagination what the morning was all about!
April 26, 2023
Amanda Crowe (group's nickname - Miss Panda) and Karan Kanish (group's nickname - Miss Froggie) were bringing JRC Spring Hats and Glasses as an art project for the morning from the Canton Museum of Art.
They began with a warm up of motions and a Good Morning Song! Clapping, patting, motioning a circle with their hands was to warm them up for using their hands to make beautiful art crafts.
It was all about Grandmas and Grandpas and Glasses and Hats!
They demonstrated the look as they gave Miss Froggie hats, boots and glasses that she would wear in the Spring to keep dry while the Spring rains fell.
Everyone began to create their own version of a hat and glasses. Creativity was at every table.
We ended the morning with a Parade of Hats! And with glasses of course!
April 19, 2023
Sarah Donnelly was in house as our Yoga Instructor today. Spring into movement and connection was the theme of the morning.
It all began with stretches with hands and arms.
She introduced animals with motions and sounds of exercising and action - skunks, bunnies, owls. They children were motioning with sounds and actions of animals to their grandmas and grandpas (seniors).
Scarves were distributed to everyone to interact in motion.
Poses were imitated with Spring growing in mind, flowers, etc.
A Yoga Story was read to all with four flowers "I am Yoga". Sarah would pause and everyone had to pose - flowers, stars, upside down, standing up tall, etc.
What a great way to Spring into Movement!
April 12, 2023
Emily Gordon was at JRC today from Artful Living and Learning to instruct in dance - "Dancing Garden Shapes".
It was all about shapes and colors and shapes and colors in Spring such as flowers, rocks and the sun.
Song and motions in planting a garden.
Passed out shapes of squares. circles, rectangles and triangles for the children and seniors to use with a song. They also had to see who had similar shapes to them and drawing air shapes in motion while dancing.
Lots of great interaction!
April 5, 2023
Today, Lindsay Bonilla, our storyteller was back with Animal Folktales.
We had our wonderful seniors today (grandmas and grandpas) and both of our schools each sent one of their preschools. What a nice combination!
This story took place in Haiti with Papa Dio, a man who owned land and began to dig for water to share with many animals. Once he had the water hole dug he put in charge of the waterhole a Babuya (Lizard) who was told to guard and share the water with all the animals -Beth (cows), Shevel (horses), dogs, cats
Papa Dio took a nap with Babuya in charge. Bubuya turned away all the animals from the waterhole. When Papa Dio woke up all the animals were in misery and dying from thirst. He fired Babuya after telling him the ideas was to share the water with all the animals.
Papa Dio hired a new guard of the waterhole - Guana (frog) and he will now whare the water hole with all the animals and everyone was healthy and happy.
The children and seniors had so much fun acting out the story and making all the sounds and expressions.
March 29, 2023
Today we had a first time instructor with two ladies Christine Herman and Rachel Bennett from the Stark County Libruary.
Their theme was " Spring Frogs and Pop Ups".
They began with a Frog Song and then a Frog Book.
Another cute Frog Song about 5 Frogs.
They narrated stories with Pop Up photos in the book.
The Wide Mouth Frog book was a favorite.
They then introduced a Pop Up Craft and each senior and child made a card to give to someone with a Pop Up inside - great fun!
What a great first program from the Stark County Library!
March 22, 2023
Amanda and Karin lovingly know as Miss Panda and Miss Froggie from the Canton Museum of Art - named by the children from JRC, were instructing today with "Lions & Lambs Mask Making".
They began with questioning what happens in Spring? Flowers, plants, animals, etc. What is the Spring weather like?
The instructors passed out stuffed animals with a song all about animals to get them in the mood to make their animal mask making.
In March everything begins to come alive and roar in like a lyon.
In April things settle down a bit like a lamb.
The children and seniors began to make their lion and lamb masks. This was so creative as they worked together in teams.
They concluded the day with a dance party - dancing with the animals.
The "Goodbye Friends" song was the finale.
March 15, 2023
JRC's two terrific Yoga Instructors were in the house today - Rhonda Kuster and Kedric Wolfe to bring the "Spring is in the Air" program alive!
After our usual welcome train with the children going to the seniors (Grandpas and Grandmas) to say hello with a gesture of shaking hands, high fives, fist bumps and hugs and then followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, the program began.
Breathing exercises with sounds was a great way to get started.
Next were tree exercises along with the famous Yoga tree pose while discussing other Spring plants, flowers and animals in hibernation that will be coming alive and visible as Spring arrives.
Bunnies, caterpillars, butterflies, flowers, bees and chickens laying eggs were all acted out in movement and sounds.
Flowers and foam eggs were distributed to go along with the motions of yoga. Songs were also sung to created more movement. The eggs were used also for balance as they put them on their heads.
Twisting the body in the chairs and on the mats was a healthy movement introduced.
Feet moving to create raindrops while singing the song to let the rain fall while watering all the plants and flowers that need the water to grow.
Finally shamrocks were distributed to the children to give to the seniors to celebrate the upcoming holiday.
March 8, 2023
Artful Living and Learning's instructor Emily Gordon was "Dancing with Color" while engaging the children and the seniors in the Intergenerational Connections Program (IG Program),
She began with her Celebrate Song after the Pledge of Allegiance.
The day was all about colors and dancing with colors!
Asking them their favorite color, what color they were wearing and the color of their hair just to name a few.
Songs about wearing colors, about items with the same color, different colors, mixing colors, rainbows, a circle of colors and primary colors.
She used squares in motion to show how primary color mix into new colors and scarves of rainbow colors to identify and "place a color on you" as they danced with motions. Moving colors at different speeds - slow or fast.
She completed the morning with calming colors...
Everyone loved engaging in all the music, dance and motions with colors!
March 1, 2023
Gina Aston, JRC Adult Day Assistant Director instructed the class in a "Cat in the Hat" themed craft to go along with the theme of the day at the adult day center.
Everyone had a good time connecting through creativity.
