All aboard for the annual Teddy Bears' Picnic

By Lily Picciocchi Myrtleford P-12 College work experience student Residential aged care home Mercy Place Myrtleford Lodge welcomed prep and Year 8 students from Myrtleford P-12 College to the fourth-annual Teddy Bears' Picnic on Monday 19 October. It was a special day for young families from the community invited to join residents and school students, to have conversations and interact with one another. In addition to the weekly intergenerational playgroup, thrown for parents and their young children on site, the picnic invited people from all generations to take part in a teddy bear parade, singing, as well as fairy bread, mini-Oreos, teddy bear biscuits, green cordial and water for morning tea. Resident Diana Findlay read a story ‘This is the Bear and the Picnic Lunch’ to the rapt group of preps. Fellow resident Elizabeth Tellar explained "the best part of the Teddy Bears’ Picnic is the picnic itself!" as she sampled fairy bread and a teddy bear biscuit. Event organiser Rosemary Dax said this year’s picnic was excellent and spoke to the importance of events such as these. “While we have a Teddy Bears’ Picnic each year, our regular weekly visits make it an even better, safer and consistent space,” she said. “It was beautiful to see one of the residents Diana reading a book to the kids. “There was also one resident who wasn’t sure what fairy bread was, so his wife translated '100s and 1000s' to him, then he was eager to try a piece. “It takes the older generation back to their younger days and lets the little ones just have some fun. “For the young ones, it’s great to see their empathy just grows and grows.” Ms Dax said it was really important to make true connections with other generations and also pass on information which has been lost. “We've just changed the way we live now and we’ve missed a lot of passing that wisdom down," she said. The event began with Myrtleford P-12 assistant principal, Adam Lindsay playing a song on his guitar as the students paraded in a circle and introduced residents to their teddy bears. Lara Pinder spoke about how she and her son Max Bacon were eager to interact with all the other age groups. “I wanted to bring Max along to his first Teddy Bears’ Picnic," she said. "Also Max wanted to show off his own teddy bear, Henry.” The intergenerational playgroup meets each Monday morning at Mercy Health.

All aboard for the annual Teddy Bears' Picnic

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