The Grandkid Investigator Program at Brooke Grove Assisted Living
Sep 19, 2025
This summer, I had the joy of hosting a five-day Grandkid Investigator (GKI) program at Brooke Grove Assisted Living. Over the course of a week, we had ten kids attend with their parents/grandparents. We had kids ages 6-17.
Each morning began with a pep talk where “investigators” received their daily mission and got a tip on how they could make their time with their “grandparent” more meaningful.. From “Operation Launch” on Day 1, where kids introduced themselves to “Operation Jukebox”, every mission and game helped our “investigators” get to know their older friend a little bit better.
Highlights from the Week
- Grandkid Investigators creatively chose agent names. Some of my favorites were Agent Banjo, Agent Logo, and Agent Roblox Girl.
- On one day, grandkid investigators were tasked with making a family tree of their resident. One of our 13-year-old participants took the sketch she made home with her. The next day, she gifted her resident grandparent with a hand-painted family tree that she had worked on at home.
- Nathaniel who is 12 came everyday of the week and loved playing the piano for his older friend Lynne. Every day the two would spend time together either working on missions or playing piano. Lynne would sit by the piano while Nathaniel played tunes from the Mario Brothers or Scott Joplin. Lynne had the chance to play a few keys herself! When Nathaniel played each day, even the staff couldn’t help but dance along.
- Two of our younger participants had been asking their mom for a grandfather figure in their life. When they came the first day they were a bit shy to meet the resident they were partnered with, but by the end of our first session, they were smiling ear to ear and eager to come back the next day to see their new friend.
- Maddie (13) discovered her partner Judy’s love for the Beatles and “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”
- Caleb and his resident “grandparent” Margaret connected through simple, playful games like Jenga, Scrabble and even a silly game like Headbanz.
- Residents lit up during our group mission time where we completed Operation Jukebox. A number of residents lit up singing along to familiar tunes and surprising everyone with their knowledge of different genres of music.
- On the last day, several kids and residents participated in a group game of UNO.
Impact and Reflections
The feedback we received spoke volumes:
- Parents noticed their children’s eagerness, confidence, and joy in influencing someone else’s day.
- Kids said they loved making the elderly smile and cherished activities like fossil digging, Operation Marshmallow, and Scrabble.
- Residents shared simple but heartfelt words: “It’s great to see youngsters. They’re so pure.”
- Staff expressed gratitude for the deepened connections, noting how different a week-long program felt compared to a single-day visit.
Perhaps the most meaningful sign of impact came when parents asked if they could continue visiting the residents their children had bonded with even after the program ended.
Looking Ahead
This program reminded me that building intergenerational friendships doesn’t take grand gestures. With guidance, youth realize that they can make a difference in an older person’s life simply by asking questions and playing games together.
We’re thrilled to announce that planning is already underway for our next session at WinterGrowth Assisted Living, beginning October 7, 2025.
We can’t wait to see more smiles, hear more stories, and continue growing these beautiful connections between young and old.
