This time of year, there are many traditional celebrations waiting to be discovered. Throughout the month of December, Discovery Gateway offers Festival of Lights programming where children will learn how light is incorporated into the holiday traditions of Hanukkah, Las Posadas, Christmas, Santa Lucia, and Kwanzaa. With Hanukkah beginning tomorrow and school out for the holiday break, it’s a perfect time to experience our last two weeks of Festival of Lights programming.
At the beginning of the month we explored the Latin American tradition of Las Posadas, which originated in Mexico and the American Southwest. During this nine day celebration beginning December 16 and ending December 24 it is customary to act out the story of the birth of Christ by lining the streets with “farolitos,” or votive candles in paper bags filled with sand. Inspired by this ritual, students participating in the Studio 444 art classes made their own lighted path luminaries.
Next, we focused the Swedish traditions of Christmas and Santa Lucia. Santa Lucia celebrates light in the darkness of winter. Santa Lucia was actually born in Italy and her name means “light.” She was a martyr who dedicated her life to feeding the poor and she was put to death on December 13th, which became known as “feast day.” This day was marked by an in-home procession where daughters, led by the oldest, bring the parents coffee and “lussekatts” (St Lucia buns), wearing white robes and candle-wreaths while singing a St. Lucia song. Today the processions are public and a Lucia is appointed every year. She visits shopping malls, retirement communities, and churches handing out ginger snaps. The modern processions include girls and boys who play different roles associated with Christmas. They may also dress as “stjarngossar” (star boys), “tomtenissar” (Santa’s little helpers), or even gingerbread men.
Children visiting Discovery Gateway connected to the Swedish culture in many ways. They tasted ginger snaps in the workshop room, made their own “tomtenissar” at the art cart, and created wreaths in the Curiosity Shop.
Through the power of imagination, we then traveled to Hawaii to explore the ways in which Christmas is celebrated in the Polynesian culture. In Studio 444 art classes kids made shell gifts, tikki lights, and Hawaiian leis. As a special treat we brought in a guest from our community, Mailia Mislang-Darden, who presented a fantastic Hula Dancing Workshop. In the workshop room children had the opportunity to taste pineapple and coconut while learning about the Hawaiian tradition of the Christmas luau, which features the Kalua pig as its main course.
This week’s Festival of Lights programming is inspired by Hanukkah. This eight-day Jewish holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem where over two-thousand years ago a small community defeated a Greek army in order to reclaim their temple. Hanukkah is observed by lighting the candles of a Menorah, which represents the light that was generated by the tiny amount of oil these people had, only enough to light a lamp for one night, but it lasted for 8 days and nights.
In Studio 444, children will be learning more about the Menorah as they create their own beeswax candles, and children can discover more about the Jewish culture by tasting potato Latkes, a traditional Hanukkah food, in the workshop room.
During the last week in December our Festival of Light programming will be centered on the African-American holiday, Kwanzaa. Created in 1966 by Dr. Korenga, Kwanzaa is based upon ancient African customs and serves to honor African heritage and culture. Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration where each day is dedicated to one of seven principles or “Nguzo Saba”, including Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and on the last day, Faith.
Children can find out more about Kwanzaa and the activities that are featured in this week-long celebration in Studio 444. During these art classes they will be discovering Kwanzaa Candle Dripping and making African Masks
As a Children’s Museum, we build inclusive communities in everything we do. Our Festival of Lights programming takes children on a journey around the world to explore and appreciate their own culture and the diverse cultures and traditions of others. We look forward to celebrating with you. Happy Holidays!

     

For me, this time of year always starts with flashbacks to that Friends episode where Joey and Phoebe have a contest to see if the concept of an unselfish act truly exists. Joey doesn’t believe it does exist but Phoebe is convinced that humans can perform acts to benefit someone else while receiving nothing in return. The audience thinks Phoebe wins when her final act of donating to PBS, a station she dislikes, helps not only a nonprofit organization, but also helps Joey get on TV. However, at the end she realizes how good she felt helping him and in turn, loses the bet. Does this mean humans are always selfish? No…helping others is just something we really enjoy. I always thought this was a great message about what giving really means.

When the holidays come around this message seems to get lost. As a designer, I get giddy at the sight of holiday decorations, gift-wrapping, trees, ribbons, and all the sparkly stuff. However, the pressure to buy the latest toys can get overwhelming, and sends the message that the only way to show love is through buying stuff. Every year I question why we aren’t stepping back more as families to remember that the holidays are about giving. We can give in simple ways that have lasting impact, whether it’s in more time with our kids or our grandkids making homemade gifts, or gathering together to define new fun family traditions. The act of giving doesn’t have to cost much and can warm the hearts of both the giver and the receiver.

As the requests for toy lists for my 3-year-old son roll in from grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends this holiday season, I plan to pass along gift alternatives for them to think about. Over the last few years I also sent them info on places they could donate to in his name and information about how to contribute to his college fund. My requests were received with looks of horror and I was told that I was being a little “grinchy.” This year I don’t plan to give up on these well-meaning people. I started to research gift-giving ideas for kids that promise to make the holidays more special and affordable. I’d like to share them with you as well.

1. Time with you (whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or friend). Make cards with pictures of favorite games/outings/crafts/or treats to make together in the kitchen. (Think of all the ways your child likes to play and experience the world.) They get to pull cards from the deck throughout the year and receive special time with you.

2. Exchange outgrown toys and clothes at Kid to Kid http://www.kidtokid.com. This is especially great for kids under five. Take advantage of this age where children really don’t care if toys are used or not!

3. Plan your gift-giving budget and spend 1/2 on present(s); the other 1/2 on a present for a child in need such as: Toys for Tots http://salt-lake-city-ut.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/default.asp or The Road Home http://centralpt.com/upload/505/NeedsList/14524_2011CandyCaneCornerWishList.pdf. Create a warm memory and let your child participate in donating this gift.

4. Make a deposit into a College Savings Fund. Utah has one of the best in the nation http://www.uesp.org. Sure, kids do not necessarily understand the concept of a college fund, but wrap it up in a card and attach a few balloons and they’ll have some immediate fun, as well as a gift that grows over the years.

5. Cardboard Box house—you can find them for $15 online http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cardboard+playhouse&sprefix=cardboard —or make your own and unveil it at gift-giving time along with crayons/markers and watch as their imagination runs wild.

6. Focus on traditions that give throughout the entire month of December. Check out this blog http://www.momadvice.com/parenting/holiday_traditions.aspxfor wonderful ideas. My favorite is baking cookies and bringing them to your local fire station.

7. Discovery Gateway children’s museum membership http://www.discoverygateway.org/membership/membership-packages. This may seem like a shameless plug, but I truly believe this is an amazing gift. Not only are you supporting a non-profit, educational institution, but you are giving a gift that lasts all year round.

Happy Giving!

When I tell people that I am the Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Discovery Gateway, they usually say “Wow, that sounds like a fun job!” and they are right! I have a blast improving education for children every day through play. I’ve been able to see on a daily basis that play is not only important to learning, but it allows children of all ages to express themselves by using their imaginations.

Occasionally you will see me on the floor geared out with a camera and taking part of one of the most rewarding parts of my job. I have the privilege of going around the Museum and photographing that “awe” moment in a child’s eyes as they imagine, discover, and connect with their world through our exhibits, programs, and special events. I enjoy experimenting with the functions of the camera to get different light effects through the lens. It is also fun to crouch down or to climb on something tall to show a unique perspective.

One of my favorite exhibits to take pictures in is our traveling exhibit PLAY. The larger than life game board pieces encourage children of all ages to play together and use their imaginations.  I love this image (below) of the little girl who decided to play peak-a-boo with her mom in the domino fort. There is a true sense of wonderment and joy.

After Labor Day this exhibit will be moving to a new museum. If you haven’t had your chance yet, I highly recommend coming to take your turn experiencing PLAY, whether it’s building a fort with the giant dominoes, rooting for your favorite team in foosball or dancing on the backgammon board, see you in the Museum!

A week ago, my little guy came down with a case of the stomach flu, which both my husband and I caught from him. I was reminded how quickly germs can travel from child-to-child, or child-to-mommy and have now moved getting my family’s flu shots to the top of my priority list. Not only do I want to protect my son from catching a nasty case of the flu this winter, but I also want to help protect my family and the other children in his daycare class too. A good friend of mine noted that Halloween is next weekend and that large groups of kiddos will be mixing together at holiday events so that makes the coming week an even more ideal time to take care of flu shots. 

Most experts believe that flu epidemics are actually started by children because a lot of people overlook getting a flu shot for their little ones. Flu shots are recommended for children ages 6 months to 18 years old. An interesting fact I ran across while researching this post is that children under age 9 who are getting their first flu shot will actually need 2 doses given at least a month apart to ensure a good response to the vaccination. 

For adults, getting our flu shot is easier than ever because most pharmacies now offer flu shots with no appointment needed. For my little guy, our pediatrician’s office is offering a flu shot clinic through mid-November, which ensures that he will get the right dose for his age. Your pediatrician’s office is a great resource for finding out more about flu shots for your children.

For additional info about flu shots and children, check out these articles from the Mayo Clinic and About.com. If you are a Salt Lake County resident, the County Health Department webpage offers some great local resources, including a clinic locator.

Have a great week and I hope to see you all at Discovery Gateway’s Halloween Spooktacular event next weekend!

October is absolutely one of my favorite months. Not only do I celebrate a birthday in October (even in my 30’s, I still like my birthdays), but I think Halloween is so fabulously fun! I have a lot of fond Halloween memories from my childhood and now that I am a mom, I want to make sure that my little guy grows up with some great memories of this holiday as well.

But beyond adorable costumes and carving pumpkins, there are some steps we parents should take to help ensure great memories, and these involve safety. Approximately four times more children, ages 5-14, are killed while walking on Halloween evening than any other evening of the year. Additionally, a lot of falls happen, resulting in injuries. Have your kiddos follow these safety measures this year:

• Use flashlights, stay on sidewalks, and avoid crossing yards
• Cross streets at the corner, use crosswalks, and DO NOT cross between parked cars
• Stop at all corners and stay together in a group when crossing streets
• This seems like a no-brainer, but to look left, right, and left again before crossing the street.

Also, you might want steer clear of masks and use face paint instead as masks can obstruct a child’s vision.  Have them avoid wearing hats that will slide over their eyes and baggy, loose costumes that can cause tripping.

At Discovery Gateway this month, we’re hosting a Halloween safety class on Friday, October 29th. We’re also hosting a series of art classes, Marvelous Masquerades, in which participants will learn how to use face paint to create incredible costume effects—and help us as parents steer clear of masks! Those classes are scheduled for October 15th, 22nd, and 29th at 4:30pm. Check out our event calendar for our full schedule of classes.

Yeah, so I’ve been back from my vacation for about a month now and have been meaning to update the blog, but I just haven’t done it. While it is easy to blame “needing to get caught up” as the source of my slacker ways, it’s actually probably more due my terrible habit of procrastinating. If I can put off doing something, I will, and this terrible habit has tripped me up more than once in my life.

So here’s what REALLY scares me about procrastination, not to mention my other not-so-great habits—that my darling son will end up with the same bad habits because he has watched him mom delay finishing projects, ruin her dinner with cookies or candy, indulge in far too much television, oversleep, etc. Obviously, we want to raise our children to have good, healthy habits, but how do we manage to do so when we parents are modeling bad habits?

In my quest to put off writing this post, I ran across another blogger who had listed the top 10 good habits he wanted to foster in his children:

1-Be health-conscious and eat right

2-Get plenty of rest

3-Become a good reader

4-Be truthful

5-Work hard

6-Be financially wise

7-Have fun and be silly

8-Try new things

9-Exercise your creativity

10-Be a leader

I absolutely agree with all ten and the good news is that I already posses many of those listed habits. It’s a relief in a way to know that I already model some great habits, and taking small steps to change my not-so-good habits will hopefully help me teach my son not to be a career procrastinator, etc. Easier said than done, but hey, I’ve almost finished this post, right? It’s the little things! 

Do you agree with all ten? What would you add to the list? What bad habit do you have that you don’t want your children to have?

I am leaving for a 10-day vacation this Friday and I’m feeling a bit frazzled. Not just because I have to tie up loose ends here at the office and make sure that all of the outstanding projects will run smoothly while I am out (I really do know everything will be fine because my staff is amazing!), but I am feeling so frazzled because this is my first time to travel with baby! And this baby is a teething, very active, almost one-year-old. The whole packing of all the baby paraphernalia, to the getting through the airport security, to keeping him entertained and happy during our 5-hour flight is overwhelming to me.

So common strategies I hear from my fellow mom friends about kid travel are to bring a couple of brand new toys and to bring plenty of snacks to keep my little one occupied during the flight. So I’ve already planned to make a stop in the Museum toy store Discovery to Go! to pick up a couple of new toys, and I’ve stocked up on favorite treats.  Another tip I heard is to make sure my little guy is either drinking a bottle or has a pacifier when the plane takes off to help his ears adjust to the change in pressure. In my quest for information, I also stumbled upon this really great website, Travel for Kids, that offers tips ranging documents you’ll need to activity planning when you get to your destination. Hopefully, I’ll survive the long trip across the country (along with all of the other passengers on the plane) and we’ll have a fabulous family vacation. Before I head out, I’d definitely appreciate any other tips anyone has to offer.

 Thanks for reading and I’ll catch up with you in a couple of weeks!

So it’s already late Thursday afternoon—I’ve been so busy with work and life that this week has flown by! I still have to clear a few more things off of my desk, but I’m definitely looking forward to the weekend and spending some time with my family (my little guy has started saying “mama” and I can’t get enough of that or him!). 

Since I’m talking about the weekend and family time, here’s a pitch to bring your family to downtown Salt Lake City this weekend, the home of Discovery Gateway. Downtown Salt Lake City is filled with activity, great restaurants, and unique shopping. The city offers the perfect start to your weekend and here are a few ideas for a memorable outing!

The Downtown Farmer’s Market is conveniently located in historic Pioneer Park. With over 250 vendors ranging from farmers, growers, bakeries, and local artisans, the Market is a perfect place to grab breakfast or lunch, and some fresh staples for the coming week. This historic park (it’s over 160 years old!) offers cool, shaded areas for your family to enjoy their tasty treats. Make sure you get there in the morning because it’s only open on Saturday from 8am – 1pm.

Of course a stop by Discovery Gateway is a must, so just walk a few blocks west from the Market and here you are! Spend the afternoon playing in the Museum, create a dino-themed craft (it’s pasta fossils this Saturday in the Curiosity Shop), and learning about kites and aerodynamics in our CSI class.

You can finish up your day taking care of any shopping needs you might have here in the Gateway Mall, maybe catch a movie at the Megaplex Theater (I still need to see Toy Story 3—I LOVED the first two), and then head home with some fabulous family memories!  

Ok, I’m going to work on a few more projects so I can clear my desk tomorrow. Have a great evening and maybe leave me a note about what your family is going to do this weekend.

Happy almost holiday weekend! This Saturday is Utah’s very own holiday, the Days of ’47 or Pioneer Day, and there will be a lot of festivities throughout the state, including one of the country’s largest parades in downtown Salt Lake City! Here at the Museum, we will be hosting cowboy/girl activities. In tomorrow’s Curiosity Shop classes, students will be making one of my favorite of the cowpoke activities, paper bag vests. My staff caught a shot of our Curiosity Shop teacher Beth making a sample of the vest and I had to share. Not only is the activity really cute and creative, Beth is fantastic and helps the kids get the most of the half-hour classes. Check out our event calendar for more details about our upcoming activities.

Also, I’m pleased to introduce a guest post written by the Museum’s CEO, Maria Farrington. Maria had an experience last weekend that inspired this post about teaching children compassion. So read on and enjoy!

If you were to ask parents, grandparents, and citizens of our world, “what do you want for our children?” I think the answer would inevitably be to grow up to be loving, caring adults.  As a parent and as CEO for a children’s museum, that’s definitely my answer.  Exactly how we help children grow into these loving and caring adults continues to mystify us as there is no firm answer. One personal experience that helped me to understand how to best foster these qualities is when I had my second child. My older 20-month son didn’t really understand why his new brother was around and that he wasn’t going anywhere. Instant love wasn’t there the first day, but we taught him how small his new brother Charles was and how Charles needed his older brother. My older son became involved and I found out that’s how my children learned to care for each other and even those they didn’t live with. 

Caring for animals is another opportunity that parents and caregivers can seize upon to teach compassion, after all puppies and kittens are defenseless and need help. You can introduce children to animals and how to protect, feed, and love animals, and this compassion for smaller creatures carries over to compassion for fellow humans. Over the weekend, my husband and I found a puppy by the side of a hot desert road that had been thrown out and left to die. We took the puppy to a 24-hour clinic but unfortunately, the internal injuries were too severe and the puppy had to be put down. The strongest emotion I had, besides being angry at the person who could hurt an animal in this way, was my hope that a child had not been in that car and witnessed that horrendous act of throwing out a helpless creature. We know there is a link between cruelty to animals and physical abuse and it starts by witnessing it actually being done.

So I encourage you to think about your words and actions that your children witness—you’ve heard this said a million times, but children will mimic everything you do or say.  Look at your children as the beautiful people they are now at 4 or 14 and imagine them as adults. Your power as parents and caregivers is remarkable—consider being great even when you’re not feeling up to it because you want your children be great. Thanks, Maria Farrington

This morning I attended a really fascinating presentation regarding the state of arts organizations. The keynote speaker was Michael Kaiser, the President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the performing arts. A portion of Kaiser’s presentation was dedicated to the increasing loss of arts in our public schools and how arts organizations, like Discovery Gateway, can help fill that gap for our children.

His words were extremely inspirational to me—I mean I know that the work we do here at Discovery Gateway is important, but he reminded me that the experiences we provide are not just fun for our visitors, but really vital. Children who are exposed to the arts become strong, creative problem-solvers because it reinforces critical skills in reading, language arts, and math. In addition, those children who are exposed to the arts continuously through their early teens tend to make the arts a part of their lives as adults. If you want to learn more about the connection between the arts and academic achievement, check out this website.

I really can’t post about art without including some tips about our upcoming classes and giving you some fun resources for incorporating the arts into your home. So, tomorrow is the last day that visiting artist Audrey King will be teaching our Studio 444 class. Audrey is focusing on the Art of Kites and I’m pretty sure that some awesome creations will come out of that class. On Saturday, we will be making sand castles in the Curiosity Shop, which is a fun summer art activity for the whole family.

If you would like to get a bit more creative at home, one of my favorite sites is crayola.com. It’s filled with fun ideas, helpful articles, and even lesson plans. My favorite activity idea is the Bike & Hike project, but that’s just because I’m a sucker for dioramas—who doesn’t like creating miniature scenes? What is your favorite kind of art project?