Play Time for Senior Citizens- World Play Day Celebration
In honor of International Play day
2018, Toybank decided to hold a special play event with the intention of bringing
play to a demographic which often gets left out of play. With that inspiration, the Toybank team
reached out to the Jivan Asha, a home for elderly residents in Andheri, Mumbai.
Many of the residents in Jivan Asha are leading lonely and sedentary lives
without family visiting them to enrich their happiness; therefore, the Toybank team
felt that this particular community needed play. The event was intended to be a day of
carefree games and entertainment to provide an oasis of joy and fun for a
community of people who otherwise may not experience playfulness in their daily
lives. In Shweta’s opening address to
the residents, she said “We need to play, we need to have fun!” Capturing the
purpose of the event and the spirt of Toybank.
As volunteers
and Toybank team members arrived, they introduced themselves to new faces and
caught up with old friends. Each
volunteer happily accepted their roles which were assigned roles which were
based on their personal skills and interests that they had expressed to
Toybank. Immediately upon receiving
their roles, volunteers began passionately collaborating with each other and
with the Toybank team to create a set up and a plan which would be effective in
constructing the most exciting day possible.
While last minute details were
being fine-tuned, volunteers began to interact with the residents who had been
apprehensively observing the progress from afar. Residents became less apprehensive and more
relaxed about settling into our event once volunteers sat down and connected
with a few of them. The simple act of initiating friendly conversation offered
residents an informal invitation to open up and enjoy the afternoon.
Once
everyone was settled in Shweta introduced the event and implored the residents
to enjoy themselves (a resident also addressed us at this time with an
expression of gratitude). Launching the
celebration of play, the volunteer band began with some up-beat Hindi songs and
made an exceptional effort to engage an at first inhibited audience. Most residents were still a little shy of us
at this point, but a small few of them asked to sing specific songs for the
group and show off their passions and talents, giving us a glimpse of the
beautiful personalities that were among us.
As the main event began, one of the
volunteer began storytelling for one group, and other lead the other group in a
game of Pass the Parcel (with the help of the volunteer band who performed live
music to set a pace for the game).
During the game playing and storytelling segments the Toybank team as
well as another volunteer, scattered themselves around so they could assist the
residents by insuring their comfort and providing simple encouragement and creating
a positive and light-hearted atmosphere.
As volunteers told stories, lead
Pass the Parcel and Bingo, the residents
grew exponentially more joyful and engaged.
At the start, the residents were inhibited and minimal in their
reactions to the events; by the end, they were leaning forward and engaged in
their activities, laughing, singing, and clapping. A few elderly women were even chanting and
speaking along with the story teller; when the story was completed, the residents where brimming with
questions about a magic donkey, a priest, and other characters from the story.
The group that played Pass the Parcel moved quicker and quicker has the
competition grew eventually laughing and singing and clapping as they achieved
success or failure in the game.
Likewise, the Bingo players grew more and more excited throughout their
game, eventually shouting out numbers that they hoped would be called out and
joking about the game being rigged for or against each of them.
The event concluded with one last musical performance. This
time, the crowed was filled with life and rhythm. Residents, Toybank team
members, and volunteers were clapping, and singing along to traditional Hindi
songs and yelling out requests. A few
cheeky residents ventured as far as to dance, one getting up out of her seat to
dance with Toybank team member. After the volunteer band had filled the small
crowed with excitement and happiness, some of the residents requested to lead
the group in a few songs. One man even
composed one just for Toybank and the volunteers, singing “Our hearts are big/
Pockets very small/ Thank you for the love you bring/ May God bless you in
everything.” The evening ended with many blessing and gratitude’s shared.
At the beginning of the event, the
residents came to the event seeming tired and weak and full of inhibition. Toybank left behind happy, relaxed and
engaged residents who seemed at least 10 years younger than the ones who
apprehensively observed the setup of the event.
From only a little engagement in the first musical segment to full
participation as the event went on, the residents opened up and thoroughly
enjoyed the event. 
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