Fifteen children enjoyed Easter crafts, an egg hunt and decorating their own ‘Basket of Positivity’ during a fun-packed day at The Nook.
The get-together was organised for children who are either bereaved or have a brother or sister receiving care from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
They got crafty by decorating items including ceramic moneyboxes and sun-catchers, while another highlight included a fun ‘protect your egg’ game, where the children used materials like kitchen roll, newspaper, bubble wrap and sticky tape to wrap their eggs, drop them from around a metre and see if they stayed intact.
They made a drumroll sound as the eggs were then carefully unwrapped and, remarkably, only two cracked.
The children also had a chance to share thoughts and feelings about their family by writing sentences on egg-shaped pieces of paper and using them to decorate Easter baskets.
“We had a lovely day,” said Play Specialist Clare Oakley, who ran the event with Child and Family Practitioner Rachel Lenton.
“There were lots of highlights and they particularly enjoyed the ‘protect your egg’ game, building the suspense as we unwrapped the eggs.
“The egg hunt also went down well and they had clues to solve which helped them complete a crossword puzzle.
“All the children left with a chocolate egg, which they had a chance to decorate, and parents were invited to join us for a tea or coffee and slice of cake, which gave them an opportunity to socialise and interact.”
The siblings had time to use the hospice’s new playground equipment and, as they left, they were invited to post comments in a ‘feedback snow globe’.
“We had some lovely responses,” added Clare.
“Everyone clearly had fun and one parent described it as an ‘amazing opportunity’ for their child to make new friends.
“We look forward to holding our next sibling day during the May half-term.”
