Crafting and Creativity for Happier Lives
Building confidence and exploring self-expression.
Crafting and Creativity for Happier Lives
Building confidence and exploring self-expression.
Crafting and Creativity for Happier Lives
How self-expression can build confidence and keep us connected to each other.
Here at Strensall Day Care Centre, a part of every day is set aside for crafting and creativity, as a source of fun, confidence-building and self-expression for our members.
Our experienced team are trained in offering a range of activities, focusing on an individual’s abilities to contribute and enjoy themselves. Our themes often reflect what’s going on in the world, such as seasons, special days and sporting events, all helping to keep our members engaged and connected.
As well as a sense of personal connection, creativity, including drawing, singing together, making collages, making up games and decorating bakes, all help reduce social isolation and support our cognitive functions by stimulating neural pathways. This in turn helps maintain hand/eye coordination and motor function, as well as being a potent boost to emotional wellbeing.
Celebrating the continuing story of our members’ lives
Often our members’ life experiences shape what we decide to do. Family photos become collage materials, favourite songs inspire our art and personal stories spark discussion and even poetry. In one of our recent sessions, the staff and members created a poem about the Centre:
Circle of Comfort
In Strensall, near York, where time gently flows,
A haven of warmth, where kindness grows.
Strensall Day Care, with care in each hand,
A place for all hearts, where smiles truly stand.
For those with more years and wisdom to share,
A circle of comfort, with love in the air.
Laughter and stories, both old and new,
A tapestry woven with memories true.
Each morning begins with a welcoming glow,
A space full of friends, where hearts overflow.
Gentle hands guide with patience and grace,
As every face lights up in this special place.
With every new day, a fresh joy to find,
Together they gather, of one peaceful mind.
For those who have lived through both joy and strife,
Strensall Day Dare is a place of new life.
So here’s to the Centre, where age is embraced,
Where every moment is carefully paced.
A community blooming, with stories to tell,
In Strensall you’ll find us, where hearts truly dwell.
The staff and members of Strensall Day Care Centre
Just like joy, creativity has no age barriers
We usually have our creative sessions in the morning, giving us the ability to include as many of our members as possible, including those who leave us after lunchtime.
We value every creation and often highlight them on our regular Facebook posts and up on the walls around the centre. In this way, we also have a wonderful, regularly changing display for members and visitors to see throughout the year.
Engaging in creative activities keeps our minds active and our spirits up. As we get older, maintaining creative hobbies becomes even more valuable, as they help preserve cognitive skills, provide meaningful social connections and give us continued purpose and joy.
Why not pick up that paintbrush, join a writing group, a dance class or try a new craft today? Your brain will thank you and you might just discover a new passion! No matter what our age, we all benefit from expressing ourselves creatively, so let’s keep making, creating and sharing.