Health & Wellness Article - May 2010Unexpected consequences
“Some kids are so busy they have no time to play. Others have no place to play and no one to play with. Some kids spend so much time front of TV and computer screens that they forget how to play.”
wall mounting in children’s art exhibit area,
Museum of Glass, Tacoma, Washington
School budgets continue to be cut. Physical education and recess already are long gone in many elementary schools in North America, and art and music services are being trimmed. It seems that test scores are the only measure many school districts are paying attention to in the quest for high-tech geniuses.
Imagine having the opportunity to nurture relationships and physical activity, creativity, communication, and learning in today’s children.
Touchmark understands the need to address childhood obesity; to nurture communication (without the aid of computers and text messaging) in children and young adults; and to foster caring relationships with trusted older adults. The intergenerational programming at each Touchmark community is designed to influence all of these areas and provide lasting moments of pride and fun for participants.
As research results continue to be shared, we realize that we are raising a generation of individuals who have not benefited from the wisdom of the elders. Plans currently are under way for additional offerings for children and their “grand friends” at all Touchmark communities.
If you would like to be part of the planning or implementation of Brain Aerobics across the generations, art in the park, or any of the events or activities being considered, contact a member of the Life Enrichment/Wellness team. Touchmark wants to be part of the solution to the growing concern about the lack of opportunities for “play” for children and their older adult friends.
Did you know?
Facts about children’s brain power
- The brain is the most unfinished organ at birth.
- The brain grows to 90 percent in the first 3 years.
- 700 new synapses (neural connections) are made every second in the first year.
- By age three, a child’s brain is twice as active as an adult’s.
- By age six, “linguistically rich” children have 20,000 words.
- When children feel secure, serotonin production helps their brain cells connect.
- When children are stressed, cortisol production activates the fight or flight part of their brains.
—The above information is drawn from research done by Harvard University’s Center for the Developing Child. For more information about children’s brain development, visit: 
http://developingchild.harvard.edu/
© 2008 Touchmark