Play Time!

On Saturday, Feb. 11th, ChildReach had the wonderful opportunity thanks to Alice Allick to coordinate with the Residential Program and have a family field trip to see a play about this classic fairy tale at the Legion of Honor. We all met at the Legion, where someone read the story of Rumpelstiltskin to the kids as we waited to take our seats. There was much excitement in the air as we entered the theatre and shortly after everyone was settled, the show began.

As the kids were laughing and following along, they learned about the man with the funny name who could turn straw into gold. The audience even got to interact with the actors and help them guess this man’s name: Rumpelstiltskin of course!

After the show, the actors were available for autographs; I think we got every single signature by the time we were done!

Then, we got to walk around the museum for free. The kids especially wanted to see the exhibit of a sculpture of the Medusa’s head. We read about the Greek mythology of Medusa and admired the artwork, entitled The Medusa, that was on loan to Legion of Honor from a museum in Rome, Italy. When we were ready to leave, we also saw some of Lincoln Park on our walk to the bus.

We were a little tired as we road the bus back to Raphael House, but it was worth it—we had so much fun and learned some new things too!

Picture taken from: http://legionofhonor.famsf.org/legion/calendar/childrens-theater-performance-rumpelstiltskin-2

March (Birthday) Madness!

On March 17th, Raphael House celebrated with kids with March birthdays and their families. We all met in Raphael House’s dining room for a Saturday afternoon filled with fun, food, beads, and paint!

In honor of St. Patrick’s day, we had a bead project that was enjoyed by boys and girls alike. Kids could make bracelets and/or necklaces of all sizes and colors, but especially in green, gold, and white. Most kids chose to make jewelry for their moms, and some even for a staff member.

We also had a skilled face painter who decorated the face of any child who asked. There were kids bopping around with shamrocks, pots of gold, and even cars on their smiling faces. Then it was time to eat!

The Raphael House kitchen made a delicious deli platter, along with crackers, pasta salad, salad greens, and fruit galore. Still, everyone knew to save some room for birthday cake. The birthday kids gathered round to blow out the candles as we sang.

The cake, provided by the generous organization, Children of Shelters (COS), was delicious and beautifully decorated—we ate almost the whole thing! Finally, it was time for presents, and along with the fast ripping of paper, there seemed to be excitement in the air about the new surprises, such as books, games, and art supplies. A great way to end the day!