Coronavirus: Doncaster children make wind chimes and posters to make elderly people in isolation feel happy

Joanne Kennett run’s Joanne’s Outstanding Childcare in Kirk Sandall and this week she has been teaching the 23 children who are under her care all about being kind.

She said: “Boris Johnson has told older people to stay inside and I just couldn’t stop thinking about how they must be feeling.

“After talking with the children we decided to make them something to cheer them up.

“They made window charms and wrote out messages of hope.”

The messages were accompanied by bright drawings of rainbows, ice cream, and pizza.

The elderly people they took the crafted gifts too were at Rokeby Gardens - an assisted living facility where residents are in isolation.

They were not allowed inside the building due to the isolation but they were told that the elderly residents greatly appreciated it.

Joanna said: “Now is a time where we all need to be thinking about each other - one of the children said ‘I hope that they like the pictures and it makes them feel safe.’

“I’m so proud of them for making things to brighten people’s days.”

Joanne follows the curiosity approach which discourages the use of electronic devices and leans towards quality time and spending time outside.

She says that parents should take this time with their children one day at a time and not to panic.

“Everything going on is soul-destroying and the unknowingness of it all is the worst,” she continued.

“Now is the time for us to be good role models for children and I hope that I can make the families I work with feel safe and secure.”

Joanna believes that childcare facilities like hers should remain open and she will not close unless authorities tell her she has to.

Her childcare centre was rated outstanding by Ofsted and she has put in extra measures in place concerning cleaning and hygiene due to current circumstances around the coronavirus.