About this project

On this page you are invited to share a story about an older person you love. A Love Cosy is a story about an older person you love. These stories offer older people the opportunity to feel the warmth and love that others have for them. Love Cosies focuses particularly on schools and we are currently working on lesson plans and links to Australian Curriculum for schools (see our schools page)

How to participate

People of all ages are invited to:

1. Think about an older person you love
2. Make an art work - drawing, painting, poem, anything
3. Tell us who your art is about and why you love them
4. Tell us your first name and your age
5. Send us a photo or scanned copy
6. Consider sending a copy to the older person you wrote about.

Please contact us if you work in a school and you are interested in establishing a school specific project. We are happy to discuss opportunities to localise the Tea Cosy Project resources for a project based in your school.

Love Cosies

Ethan is 5 years old and says he loves his nana because she makes him porridge with cinnamon and apple

Love Cosies in schools

Schools have an important role to play in the development of respectful relationships. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development's blueprint for Respectful Relationships Education has resulted in the development and evaluation of respectful relationships education in Australian schools. The approach recognises that children and young people are one of the most important populations with whom primary prevention strategies have been implemented. It supports children and young people to develop knowledge and skills that have a lasting effect on their relationships in the future. 

This recognition highlights the opportunity for interventions that enable children and young children to question ageist societal views and to develop relationships with the older people in their life that are valuing and respectful.  

​Mini Maker Faire @ KIOSC
We were delighted to be invited to participate in the 2016 Mini Maker Faire held at KIOSC in March 2016. The Faire provided an opportunity to share the Tea Cosy Project with around 500 students, teachers and community members. A special thanks to Rod White for setting up the technologies to assist students to participate.

Those who participated were mostly primary school age children. They were invited to share a story about an older person they loved, using the tea cosy as a canvas. A number of ipads were available for the students to work on. Most of the art produced was scanned on site and the students were provided with a stamp and envelope to send the art to the older person  their story was about.

​Some of the very young participants made cosies for their siblings and parents - whom they described as 'older people'. Those that were directed at older people  focused mostly on grandparents. A particular highlight was the young boy who said he loves his nan because she teaches him things he doesn't learn in school. When asked to give an example he said she says to him "strive forward and be proud of who you are."  Watch the video here and check out  some of the tea cosies below.  

​More Love Cosies