Nursery children join York care home for journey into Christmas past

Old festive traditions have come to life at a care home in York, where residents welcomed a local nursery for a day of seasonal activities. 

Chocolate Works, on Bishopthorpe Road, joined forces with young visitors from Little Green Rascals Nursery to revisit customs from Christmases past.

Residents welcomed the children for a morning of festive crafts, where they created traditional Christmas cards. This was followed by a session of carol singing, with residents and the children belting out an array of traditional numbers. 

One resident, Mary, said: “It was such a lovely morning with the children all dressed in their little Christmas jumpers! It made me think about Christmases when my children were little”

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 local community and 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.

Judy Wray, Home Manager at Chocolate Works, said: “Christmas is such a special time of year, and this event allowed us to honour those memories from residents’ childhoods of making Christmas cards for loved ones and carol singing. 

“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 Little Green Rascals Nursery for joining us and making the day so joyous for all involved! Their presence brought an extra sparkle to the day.”

Designed to enable residents to lead active and fulfilling lives, while also promoting independence, Chocolate Works incorporates plenty of space for leisure activities and hobbies including its own cinema, hair and beauty salon and pub. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care.