Setting up an Intergenerational PCMG Program in a Seniors’ Centre

Learn about starting an Intergenerational Parent-Child Mother Goose Program in your community bringing together different generations, typically parents, young children (babies) and older adults, through the shared experience of storytelling, songs, and rhymes.

Discuss how to foster connections between participants to create a supportive and interactive environment where parents are engaged, children develop language skills and social awareness while seniors experience meaningful, social interactions. Learn how to provide a structured yet flexible approach to learning and relationship-building.

Discover why the program is highly valued to support early childhood development while simultaneously reducing isolation and promoting well-being among older adults. Learn to create a space of intergenerational bonding to enhance empathy, communication, and understanding across age groups. Hear about including cultural heritage through the transmission of traditional stories and songs, fostering a sense of continuity and belonging in the community.

About the Facilitators

Patricia Asbun is a senior facilitator and trainer with over 24 years of experience delivering the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program. She specializes in intergenerational practice, supporting educators and community practitioners to build meaningful connections between babies, caregivers, and older adults through song, rhyme, and story.

Susan Lee, Recreation Therapist, CTRS, graduated from Concordia University in Recreation Therapy and has worked in a variety of communities for the past 25 years, with children, youth at risk and older adults. She is now with Vancouver Coastal Health North Shore and has been participating in an intergenerational P-CMG program at Cedarview Lodge since 2019. Susan became a P-CMGP teacher in 2025.