After hearing amazing reviews about the World Vision Experience: AIDS exhibit, from my friend Joanne, Sarah and I went to see it Tuesday. The exhibit puts a face on the AIDS crisis in Africa. Actually, it puts four faces on it. The exhibit tells the stories of four children: Babirye, Mathabo, Kombo and Emmanuel. When you enter the exhibit, you are given an IPOD with the story of one of the four children. Sarah and I listened to Emmanuel's story. Using words like "listen" and "exhibit" do not do it justice. The word experience really describes it well. You enter and sit down in Emmanuel's home and travel from his hut, to the nearby banana forest, to the local clinic to see if Emmanuel is HIV positive. It is just incredible. The exhibit is recommended for children over age ten. Sarah is five but I felt that it was completely appropriate for her. There were no graphic images in the photography, nor graphic language on the IPOD. Without a doubt it is very sad, but Sarah and I have had great conversations about Emmanuel in the last few days. We live in a rich community, in a rich nation, and I want Sarah to see that the world is so much bigger than what she sees every day. She may not have a horse or every Webkin that she wants, but she is a very blessed little girl. I don't think children need to be 10 to start learning that lesson, and frankly, as an adult, I can't remind myself of it enough. The exhibit is traveling around the country. Check out the website to see the locations and dates. If it is coming to your hometown, take your kids and go see it, you will be so glad you did.
World Vision Experience: Aids
Fingerprint Art
Last year, my friend Susan was Sarah's classroom mom. She had the children make fingerprint art note cards for each teacher's birthday. They turned out so cute, I was inspired to borrow her design book, (Ed Emberley's Fingerprint Drawing Book) and try it with the girls. This week the girls and I made this card for Pete's grandmother's birthday. Each of the girls picked which bugs or flowers they wanted to make with their fingerprints. I added on the faces, legs and stems. (I used Pete's thumb to make the sun!) It was very easy to do and the girls loved it. I am thinking of making up some note pads or gift cards at Kinko's with fingerprint flowers along the bottom.
Ed Emberley's website has great drawing activities on it as well as fingerprint patterns. 123Child has patterns for fingerprint animals and plants which children over age 5 could do on their own.
Enjoy!
Activity Bag Swap
A few weeks ago, I was invited to participate in a Activity in a Bag swap. Each mom makes 25 sets of an assigned activity. We are all getting together in a few weeks and will each take home 25 different activities for our preschoolers. Each activity is contained in a gallon size plastic bag. The activities are self directed so preschoolers can get out an activity and do it on their own when mom is busy cooking, taking a shower or home schooling older siblings. The activities come from a book entitled Preschool Activities in a Bag which was written by two home schooling moms. Each of the 30 activities in the book has clear directions and can be assembled for around a $1 per bag.
I was assigned a beading activity. Each bag has 100 beads, two 24 inch lanyard strings and one pipe cleaner. I test ran the activity bag with Emily today while I had a doctor's appointment. She actually spent 45 minutes playing with it. I can't wait to have 24 different activity bags to use. I plan on putting aside 6-7 of the bags for an upcoming airplane trip and keeping 2-3 bags in the car for restaurants.
The group of moms I am swapping with is each making two extra bags. One extra set is going to a family whose son is undergoing chemo treatments. The family has two preschoolers who will get to play with their new activity bags during big brother's doctor appointments and hospital visits. The second extra set is going to Denver's Children's Hospital. My mother volunteers in the play room there. When I told her about the activity bags, she thought it was a great idea for patients who are in isolation. I am going to divide the activities up into some canvas bags that volunteers can bring to patients' rooms.
We are doing our swap in a few weeks. I'll let you know how Emily likes her new activities.
