Hailsham care home and Mrs Claus take nursery on journey into Christmas past

Old festive traditions have come to life for a care home in Hailsham, where residents visited a local nursery for a day of seasonal activities – with a very special guest. 

Bowes House, on Battle Road, joined forces with little helpers at Bunny Run Childcare and Mrs Claus to revisit customs from Christmas past.

Residents took a purpose-built grotto over to the nursery and delighted the children with stories and memories, as well as some sweet treats.

Mrs Claus checked in with all the children to see if they had been good this year, which apparently they all had! The children then became the stars of the show with some traditional and new Christmas songs, which even had Mrs Claus and resident Beatrice dancing and singing along. 

For one resident in particular, there was an added element of reminiscence to the festive fun. Elsie, 95, spent most of her career as a teacher, so was delighted to experience the joy and festivities with the children again.

She said: “It was so lovely to be back in a classroom setting. I really enjoyed spending time with the children and they were all so beautifully behaved too. Their singing was so lovely, it took me back to my days in the classroom at Christmas time, such a lot of fun and happiness everywhere!”

The event was part of Care UK’s ‘Step into Christmas’ initiative, which aims to revive residents’ festive traditions by encouraging them to share memories with the younger generation. 

By blending storytelling, crafts and carol singing, the sessions create a space for meaningful intergenerational connection. For further information on Step into Christmas, visit careuk.com/Step-into-Christmas.

Natasha King, Home Manager at Bowes House, said: “Christmas is such a special time of year, and this event allowed us to honour those memories from residents’ own lives of taking their children to see Father Christmas or even visiting a grotto themselves when they were younger. Some even recalled when they had been well behaved enough to make the nice list!

“It was a wonderful opportunity to bring different generations together for a day of festive cheer. It was truly heartwarming to watch residents reminisce and share stories from Christmases gone by.

“We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Bunny Run Nursery for letting us visit and making the day so joyous for all involved! Going to the nursery brought an extra sparkle to the day.”

Bowes House is a state-of-the-art care home that provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to lead enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the building boasts its own café, cinema and hair and beauty salon. The home offers a comprehensive activity programme, featuring a mix of themed events and group activities both inside and outside.