Parents and guardians are being invited to take their children to Vision Nursing Home in Sarnia on Thursday as "Storytime" returns for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Organizer Bevin Perdu said she started storytime at the nursing home around late 2016 or early 2017. Perdu said she read about a storytime initiative in British Columbia and reached out to Vision Nursing Home to hold something similar locally.
"The residents light right up when the kids come in," she said. "It doesn't matter if it's one kid or 10 kids, they just love it!"
Perdu said they took a few kids to the nursing home last week to visit but now they're welcoming children of all ages to attend this week's storytime on July 6 at 10 a.m.
"It's best right now, with the construction on Brock Street, to enter from the Wellington Street entrance," she said.
Perdu said residents can show up at around 9:30 a.m. to get situated before storytime begins.
"It works [out to] about 20-25 minutes of a storytime. We sing, we dance, read stories, and then after that, they always provide a snack," Perdu said.
Afterward, children can meet some of the residents.
Perdu said it's unknown when the next storytime will be held but she hopes to have a few more sessions throughout the summer.
The mask policy has been lifted at Vision but just as it was pre-COVID, those who are feeling ill are asked to not visit the nursing home.