CHILDREN at a Timperley day nursery have been helping residents at a nearby care home to get through the second coronavirus lockdown.

Kids at the pre-school and nursery on Stocks Dean Close, Timperley have been writing letters to the people in the home and becoming their pen pals.

Aimee Martin, deputy manager at the nursery said: "We have been visiting the care home in the past with the children for a while.

"We used to sing songs and play some games with them and the residents used to read stories to the kids but it has all had to stop because of the second lockdown.

"With not being able to go over we wanted to see if they could still contact them and write letters.

"The kids had been telling us that they missed them so we worked on a pen pal letter system where the letters are laminated and sprayed and then the care home kept them for a while and then handed them out. We have looked for different ways to get involved again with them including singing to them.

"Our car park backs onto the back of the care home so we have been singing to them and doing nursery rhymes through the fence.

"The kids have really enjoyed it and Pedro from the home said they loved it too. We are looking to more different things such as doing a Zoom Christmas Carols event for them because it is getting too cold to be standing outside."

Aimee added that the pen pals idea and songs is really helping the kids and residents.

She said: "It has so many benefits for both of the people. Some of the kids don't have elderly grandparents to listen to and learn from so it is good for them.

"One of them even was a teacher so it gives her nice memories and it is nice for the kids.

"But for the residents it can be a bit lonely as they don't get visitors so they see some new faces.

"It also them to think about their memories as a kid. They have been interacting asking questions together such as what is their favourite colour."