Haliburton Highlands Health Services Intergenerational Summer Camp

Connection across generations transforms care into community

LOCATION:  Haliburton Highlands Health Services

When Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS) launched its first-ever Intergeneration Summer Camp, the feedback was nothing short of incredible.

From July through August, residents from Highland Crest Long-term care and participants from the day program at the Minden Health Hub spent full days alongside children aged 5 to 12, sharing activities, laughing and learning. Seniors lit up with excitement each morning, eager for the children’s arrival, and the kids quickly sharpened an invaluable life skill: empathy.

“As the children made friends with the seniors, they started to help in small but meaningful ways,” says Amanda Rowden, the Community Support Services and Volunteer Manager at HHHS. “If they noticed someone was getting up and needed their walker, they would bring it over. Other times, the kids reminded each other to speak more quietly so they wouldn’t hurt the seniors’ ears. It was beautiful to see.”

Programs like this reflect what long-term care homes across Ontario work to foster every day. Environments where residents are supported not only clinically, but also through relationships that build dignity, purpose and belonging.

For one resident living with dementia, the camp was especially meaningful. A former schoolteacher, she was seen sitting with the children, encouraging them in their learning and activities; a side of her life that staff were deeply moved to see re-emerge during the camp.

Throughout the Intergenerational Summer Camp, residents took part in activities outside their usual routines, from go-karting and mini-putting to bowling and outdoor excursions. For those with limited physical ability, simply being present, included, and part of the experience was a meaningful difference.

The idea for the intergenerational program first emerged during an ice storm, when HHHS quickly organized a day camp to support staff who still needed to come in to work while childcare options were unavailable. The experience was so successful that it evolved into a full summer camp program.

To help ensure the camp’s success, HHHS brought in two summer students to support the children and lead activities – underscoring the strong community involvement behind the initiative. If the first year was any indication, even more students may be welcomed in future summers.

One of the activities at camp is dramatic play, which has been a hit with residents and kids. At the “Happy Café,” residents play make belief coffee shop. Kids take their orders and then bring them pre-packaged treats like cookies and muffins.

“Art in the park” took teamwork to a new level. Easels, paint brushes and supplies are packed up and taken to a local park, where residents describe the scenery, and children bring those descriptions to life on canvas.

One activity stood out as especially rewarding for both children and residents: creating biographies. The children interview their senior friends, asking thoughtful questions about their lives and experiences. They then recorded what they learned and added drawings, weaving together words and images to tell truly special stories.

The result was a heartfelt biography that celebrates wisdom, creativity, and the joy of connection across generations.

As Haliburton Highlands Health Services looks ahead to summer in 2026, it’s clear that this connection across generations does more than enrich lives – it helps redefine long-term care as a place to connect, a place to learn and a place to celebrate each other’s journeys.