The benefits of intergenerational practice

Simply put, it’s about bringing people of varying ages together in purposeful, mutually beneficial activities that promote greater understanding and respect between generations.

We’re not alone here at Outdoor Tribe in believing that encouraging interactions between generations helps to promote a greater sense of community spirit. There are a growing number of organisations who also strive to promote intergenrational practice.

You can read about Intergenerational practice and intergeneration learning in much more  details if you’d like to find out more.

A practical example of intergenerational practice

At Outdoor Tribe we run Woodland Working Parties, with the majority of attendees being over 70. We also run a activity sessions for children, some one off and some as part of a Forest School programme.

The objective of all our sessions is to benefit feelings of wellbeing. We help individuals experience a range of woodland based activities, extending their environmental knowledge, whilst supporting them to grow their self confidence and self esteem.

Building bird boxes is something that is an important part of our woodland management programme and always a popular activity for our adult visitors to get involved with.

However, I know that children also love to build things and particularly love to hammer. So, bringing together the older and younger generations on a shared project is just too much of a win, win opportunity for promoting intergenerational practice to miss.

What the older generation can teach the younger one

If there’s one thing you learn well as you travel life’s road is that a sense of humour is vital. We prefabricate the bird box pieces and drill the nail holes, but that doesn’t mean that all the bird box pieces will fit together perfectly, which is actually part of the experience and developing a sense of humour while undertaking these practical projects is vital..!

The older generation also have their own tried and perfected ways of getting a job done, when conditions are not quite perfect, and the younger generation find this both engaging and fun to learn about as conversations start and ideas are shared in the search for a solution.

It’s simple, basic stuff really, but provides some great opportunities for the older and younger generations to collaborate on valuable problem solving and discussion (what we can do to make that bit fit with there?)

To witness these practical project interactions we run as part of our Outdoor Tribe activities is to see the notion of there being an age barrier at all melt away before your eyes.

What the younger generation can teach the older one

There may not be much the younger generation can teach an older one in terms of practical skills, but there is a very important aspect of life that so often becomes dimmed as people age.

Experiencing delight and joy are so very important for benefitting wellbeing and children tend to display both emotions freely,

For special needs children who attend our sessions, the pride and delight  demonstrated in being supported to complete a bird box most definitely teaches their older generation helpers to smile broadly from the inside.

Being totally immersed in an intergenerational practical task soon removes any age gap which is lovely to see and, from feedback received afterwards is very rewarding for our older generational members to experience.

Social capital from intergenerational practice

Providing opportunities for intergenerational learning can help to improve not just communication between older and younger generations, but appreciation and respect of each from either side.

At Outdoor Tribe we are aiming to run more intergenerational events with the objective of building social capital. Social capital is gained by encouraging social interaction between generations through broadening of social networks, through promoting community participation.

Interested in attending an Outdoor Tribe event?

Whether you’re a parent with young children or retired and living alone, there’s something for you to enjoy through joining the Outdoor Tribe.

Maybe you’d like to find out about Forest School for children, an educational process that is designed to encourage children to become more resilient and self-confident.

If you’re over 18 you can join our weekly Woodland Working Parties, with the emphasis being firmly rooted in providing opportunity for people to get social and improve their physical resilience (you do not have to be super fit to join, just reasonably steady on your feet).

If you’d like to be kept informed of events we’re running then please subscribe to our mailing list by adding your email to the box in the right hand column. You’ll only receive updates from us, no third parties.

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