Seaside art
On Sunday 27 July, our creative residents at Bromley Park Care Home took a nostalgic trip down memory lane through a seaside-themed art session. Using everyday items including sea shells they created wonderful artwork that captured the essence of joyful days spent by the coast. Their creations sparked memories of warm sunshine and soft sand, birds soaring over the waves, and the unmistakable serenity of the seaside.
As we admired the artwork, the stories came flowing. Our residents fondly recalled family trips to the coast, sometimes by train, sometimes all squeezed into a car packed to the brim with buckets, spades, blankets, towels and swimsuits. There were tales of catching crabs with siblings, searching for starfish with mum, and gathering shells with dad. Some shared sweet memories of sticks of rock from the pier or seaside picnics with gran, all accompanied by the sounds of seagulls and waves lapping at the shore.
Listening to these memories was a true joy. There was laughter and warmth as our residents described building sandcastles, dipping their toes in the sea, and dodging seagulls cheekily trying to steal their chips!
Discovery baskets
Later in the day, we brought out our much-loved rummage baskets, filled with all kinds of curious and tactile treasures. As always, our residents were full of enthusiasm, diving in to explore the collection of unusual and nostalgic items.
The reactions were priceless. “What is this?”, “I’ve seen one of these before!”, “Ooooh, this is lovely!” echoed around the room. There were laughs all around as doll’s clothes were briefly mistaken for real coats, until someone pointed out the miniature size!
The conversations were spontaneous and fun, giving everyone a lift. It was a reminder of how powerful these simple activities can be – offering sensory stimulation, emotional connection, and above all, a great excuse for a good old-fashioned chinwag!
