Turn Off The Screens: Fun with Seniors A Success

MANITOUWADGE, ON – Turn Off the Screens Week has certainly downsized in recent years. This year, with some help from the Manitouwadge Family Health Team’s Amazing Walk II which incorporated TOTS Week activities like the OPP Bike Rodeo as Pit Stops’ in their challenge ensuring better attendance, (CLICK HERE for the full story) collaborating organizers of the 2013 TOTS Week, Community Services and the Manitouwadge Best Start Hub, regained some of the momentum and interest for the initiative which once thrived in Manitowuadge.  Turn Off the Screens Week challenges kids and their families to ‘unplug’ for a week as they turn off not only television screens but also other electronics such as video games, computers, etc.

One of the long time favourites of TOTS week participants is “Fun with Seniors” an evening at the Golden Age Club where doors are opened to elementary students to enjoy activities planned by the club’s members.  This year activities included billiards, crafting (of a banner to be erected for Canada Day in addition to smaller Canadian Flags the kids could decorate with paint, stamps, markers and tissue paper cutouts to take home), and ‘stand-up’ shuffle board inside, while outside attendees could learn how to play ladder golf (a.k.a. Newfie-Golf).

The kids had a blast learning how to play some of these classic games from the ‘pros’ while the seniors also seemed to enjoy some ‘young blood’ energizing the clubhouse for the evening.  In addition to the games there were delicious cookies, ice cream cone cupcakes and refreshements shared with kids who participated.

Though evenings like this involve a significant amount of work, seeing how both the kids and club members enjoyed themselves it would be great to see something similar held a few times a year.  In any case it was a very successful evening as new friends were made, new skills learned and plenty of smiles seen all around, thanks to all the Golden Age Club members who volunteered their time to host this grea

t event!

Posted in Community Events, Manitouwadge/Marathon, Municipal, Northern Ontario Headlines, Sports | Comments Off on Turn Off The Screens: Fun with Seniors A Success

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