We’re going on a bear hunt! Cheltenham care home welcomes local nursery for cuddly scavenger trail

If you go down to the woods today, you might notice that a care home in Cheltenham welcomed local nursery children for a bear-y wholesome morning.

Care UK’s Sandfields, on St George’s Road, welcomed youngsters from Little Pips Nursery for a teddy bear hunt, and the children and residents worked together to find as many bears hidden in the home’s garden as possible.

For an extra special surprise, Chris Bourne, Senior Lifestyle Coordinator at Sandfields, donned his best fancy dress and hid away as the final bear.

Once all the bears had been found, residents and children enjoyed a sing-along together of classic favourite nursery rhymes, including ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ and ‘Wind the Bobbin Up’.

97-year-old Margaret Clabbon, a resident at Sandfields, said: “It was great fun finding the bears and it took me right back to my childhood – the children were so quick at spotting the hidden teddies!” 

Dorothy Pye, Home Manager at Sandfields, added: “Everyone had a wonderful morning and we were delighted to be joined by the children from Little Pips Nursery.

“Intergenerational activities like these are a great way of building relationships between generations, allowing the youngsters to learn from residents as well as providing a lovely opportunity for residents to reflect on their own childhood memories.

“On behalf of the whole team, we’d like to thank Little Pips Nursery for a wonderful visit and look forward to welcoming the children back for our next activity very soon!”

Sandfields is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia and short-term respite care. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.