Just a change of scenery can engage kids, but a senior reading books to kids can have mutual benefits.

Federal Way Senior Commission member David Reynolds wants to start a senior reading program at Federal Way elementary schools so seniors can interact with kids through storytime. Reynolds said this idea was first sparked after the commission did a reading day at Camelot Elementary in the fall of 2023, and the kids enjoyed it very much. He thinks a lot of the kid’s enjoyment of seniors reading to them has to do with the kids just being excited to interact with someone other than their teacher.

“They picked a book, and then I read the book, and then somebody picked another, and as long as the teacher had time, we went on,” Reynolds said. “I would say each class was about 30 to 45 minutes. And, the teachers get a break, and it’s just an opportunity for seniors to interface with kids because there’s a lot of older people out there who have grandkids or whatever who live out of town, and so they don’t really get a chance to interface with young people at all.”

Reynolds said the one-off event at Camelot was more casual than an official program run through the commission in partnership with Federal Way Public Schools, but after the Camelot event, he wanted to extend this program to other schools and classrooms. He said this first event only included commission members, but with the new program, he said any interested seniors can apply. He said the only thing seniors need to do is get a background check, decide where they want to read and how often they want to read.

Reynolds thinks most seniors will want to read at elementary schools near where they live so if many schools sign up for the program, then it will be easier for the seniors to participate because most seniors wouldn’t want to drive a half hour for the program. Ideally, Reynolds said he wants this program in every elementary school in Federal Way. But Reynolds said, regardless of whether there are just a few seniors who want to read to kids or many, or if not many schools want to participate, he has big hopes for the program.

Reynolds said adult seniors need to be able to interact with kids, and they like being around kids but have no opportunity to do so. Reynolds said he’s one of those seniors being that his son and grandchildren live in California. Additionally, Reynolds said people will probably notice that when seniors see kids in stores, they often stop and say hi and want to interact with kids, but he said now, with so much crime people are aware of, that’s become a harder thing to do. He said he understands why parents are protective of their kids, but active seniors just want to interact with kids because they bring joy into their lives.

“I just love interfacing with the kids. It’s a part of my life. I have a wife, she’s 74, I’m 75, and we don’t have the opportunity to interact with kids,” Reynolds said. “In today’s world, you have to meet people in their atmosphere. You’ve seen older people at Walmart, or wherever, where they’re trying to talk to little kids they don’t know, and today, the stranger danger thing is a big deal. Unless their parents are standing there, you can’t even talk to them. You can’t interface with little ones unless you’re in a structured atmosphere like a school, and then, they know you’re not a danger.”

For anyone interested, give Amy Glandon a call at 253-835-2401.