SPOOKY treats and trails were centre of attention this Halloween as two local care homes put on a special day for visiting children.

Colten Care's Abbotts Barton and St Catherines View laid on a bone-chilling games day, which featured costumes and decorations for eight young visitors. 

Throughout the afternoon, children had to navigate through hanging spiders, cobwebs and skulls as they made their way through the home's garden. 

READ MORE: Hosepipe ban lifted in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight by Southern Water

Kirsty Sawyer, companionship team leader, said: “Our residents and colleagues decorated the garden in advance and put in as much hocus pocus as possible. 

%image('16120044', type="article-full", alt="Children from Tops Day Nursery sample Halloween treats at Colten Care’s Winchester care home St Catherines View. With them is resident Nalini Bhagwat. ")

“We invited the children to dress up and join us on a hunt around the garden for witches’ hats with letters on that spelled out a spooky word to win a goody bag of treats. 

“The children then enjoyed a hot chocolate and toffee apples with our residents.” 

SEE ALSO: Queues on the M3 near Winchester due to temporary traffic lights

For grandmother and resident, Jillian Cambrook, the chance to welcome the children was especially pleasing after moving to Abbotts Barton during the Covid pandemic, at a time when visiting arrangements were restricted. 

Jillian said: “We really got into the spirit of Halloween and I loved watching the children running around the garden and enjoying themselves. 

“It’s something I hadn’t seen in the garden before. I would love the opportunity to welcome them again in the future.”

%image('16120068', type="article-full", alt="A young visitor on the Halloween trail at Colten Care’s Abbotts Barton care home in Winchester.")

At St Catherines View, Colten Care’s dedicated dementia care home in Stanmore Lane, residents welcomed a Halloween visit from nearby Tops Day Nursery and Pre-school. 

The fun included a craft session in which residents and visitors designed and decorated Halloween masks. 

The children were each given flowers picked from the garden which they loved smelling and showing to the residents. 

Evie Airs, companionship team member, said: “It was amazing to see how meeting the children lifted our residents’ moods and made them so happy and excited. Halloween provides a great form of reminiscence.”

Resident Maggie Green said: “It was wonderful to see the children. They’re just little rays of sunshine.”