Tears glisten in Aunty Doreen's eyes, but there is a beaming smile on her face, too, as she watches the children at play around her.
She is among the Elders hosting the first birthday celebration for a one-of-a-kind intergenerational playgroup for children, their parents and carers at the Aboriginal Elders Village in Adelaide's north.
"Marra Elders Playgroup is connection to family, it's connection to Country and culture," village manager Ingrid Coad told AAP.
"A lot of our rezzies (residents) don't have family, or the families are far away up in the APY Lands.
"So it's like playing with their grandchildren - it's about communication, talking amongst each other, and talking in language."
The village, in Davoren Park, is Adelaide's only Indigenous-specific aged care facility. It currently has 20 residents and a capacity of up to 30.
