St. Clair O’Connor Community’s Intergenerational Summer Camp has wrapped up for the season, successfully bringing kids and older adults together to create a sense of connection, and community.
The camp invited children from the surrounding neighbourhood into the long-term care and senior living environment. The campers came not just to play and learn, but to build meaningful relationships with older adults through shared activities like balloon volleyball, arts and crafts, storytelling, and games.
“The purpose of the camp was to bring together both young people and older age groups,” said Maya Shipley, the camp’s coordinator. “It helps kids understand where older generations are coming from, and helps the seniors feel energized, connected, and seen.”
Shipley, alongside Sam Hossain designed the camp from the ground up. It was a team effort, but for Shipley, it was a challenge in inclusion. She explored activities that were accessible, and meaningful for people with different life experiences and abilities. This meant adapting board games with oversized pieces, creating multi-sensory activities, and constantly improvising as she led the camp.
Campers helped deliver ice cream during special events, created elevator posters, and even learned piano together. But the experience for the kids wasn’t just about what they did, but also who they connected with.
“I liked helping the seniors,” said Faith, one of the campers.
“I hope the kids took away how rewarding it can be to help,” added Shipley.
As she looks ahead, Shipley is already planning for next year’s camp. She hopes to bring in more campers and introduce new activities that will continue building cross-generational connections.
“There aren’t many camps that mix generations like this,” she said. “But we’ve seen how powerful it can be when they do,”