Dr Amanda Salmon, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at UQ’s School of Psychology, says intergenerational engagement during the festive season offers profound benefits for both children and older adults. 

The goal isn’t nostalgia, it’s connection. Whether through long-cherished rituals or newly invented ones, the heart of intergenerational engagement is the shared experience that brings people together. 

Dr Salmon tells us how we can bridge the generational gap, and why it’s important.  

“For children, time with older adults helps them develop empathy, communication skills, and a sense of belonging to something larger than themselves,” Dr Salmon said. 

“Children have to adapt how they communicate – they naturally pause more, listen more carefully, and ask different types of questions. 

“They bring curiosity, imagination, spontaneity, and energy. 

“Older adults often become the storytellers of the season, sharing memories of what Christmas was like when they were young; the kinds of gifts they received (or didn't), the food their families made, or how celebrations looked in their home country if they migrated.  

“These stories act as an informal oral-history lesson for children and help them understand how traditions and circumstances have changed over time.” 

Reminiscence is more than nostalgia, it’s psychologically protective.  

“Telling stories, revisiting memories, and passing down traditions helps reinforce a sense of identity, lifts mood, and strengthens feelings of meaning and self-worth,” Dr Salmon explained. 

“These benefits tend to stand out even more during Christmas as the season is naturally centred around rituals, memories, and shared activities. 

“In a way, Christmas gives both generations permission to connect more deeply.” 

Meaningful intergenerational engagement doesn’t need to be elaborate, expensive, or limited to families who have grandparents close by.  

Families and communities might: 

• Bake something together and deliver it to an older neighbour or someone living alone. 
• Visit or send handmade cards to an aged-care home, where many residents don’t receive regular visitors. 
• Invite a grandparent, older relative, or an older family friend to a school Christmas concert, carols night, or neighbourhood event. 
• Create a “story swap”, where older adults share a favourite memory and children, teens, or young adults share something from their year. 
• Make handmade decorations or a new ornament each year, including one to give away to an older neighbour or aged-care resident. 
• Pass down a family recipe, or learn a new cultural recipe from an older person in the community. 
• Blend cultural traditions, especially for families with migrant or multicultural backgrounds. 
• Use video calls to decorate, cook, or wrap gifts together when distance or mobility prevents in-person visits. 
• Go for an evening walk to look at Christmas lights as a shared ritual, either with an older family member or by inviting an older neighbour to join. 
• Involve teenagers and young adults by having them lead a small act of kindness, help with baking, or teach an older adult a new skill. 

Intergenerational programs across many countries have consistently shown improvements in communication skills, reduction in age-related stereotypes, stronger community engagement and reduced isolation. 

“Shared activities, especially those tied to rituals, culture, and creative collaboration, tend to produce the strongest results,” Dr Salmon said. 

“Programs such as intergenerational cooking groups, storytelling exchanges, and art-making sessions in Australia, the UK, and Japan have demonstrated meaningful boosts to wellbeing, confidence, and intergenerational understanding on both sides. 

“Additionally, programs such as Intergenerational Learning Australia, the U.S. “Intergenerational Schools” model, and the UK’s “Grandparenting Study” have also all found measurable benefits for both children and older adults.” 

Families don’t need to cling only to long-standing traditions, creating new ones is just as powerful.  

Some families adapt old customs in a modern way, while others blend cultural traditions or invent something entirely new that reflects who they are now.  

However you celebrate, connection is key.