Random Act of Kid-ness: Hurricane Sandy Edition

This week’s Random Act of Kid-ness comes to us from Hoboken, NJ, where 11 year old Lucy Walkowiak started a pop-up Internet café and charging station in front of her home in exchange for a donation to the Red Cross. Hurricane Sandy left much of Lucy’s state and those around her without power, so she decided she wanted to help those in need. Lucy’s dad Steve said:

“Lucy does a lot of community service through her school, so this is on par with what she’s been learning.”

What a great way to help those around her, while raising money to bring help to thousands and millions more. To read more about this story, click here.

We also want to bring your attention to even more wonderful deeds happening in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Have you heard about other heroes of the hurricane? Let us know in the comments!

Have You Seen It?!: Literary Mural in Bubbie’s Bookstore

Have you seen the brand new literary mural in Bubbie’s Bookstore?!  Now, while you are reading some of your favorite books in the little nook, you can discover even more entertaining reads to check out in the future.

So what are you waiting for? Come curl up and unwind with a good book today!

Random Act of Kid-ness: Mitzvah Chefs

This week’s Random Act of Kid-ness comes to us from the Bay Area, where first through eighth graders at Peninsula Temple Sholom prepare and deliver meals to local residents in need. This program, called Mitzvah Chefs, is based on the ideas of mitzvah, meaning charity or good deed, and tikkun olam, or helping/repairing the world.

The temple’s Youth Director Yael Zaken says,

“It’s really important to start within your own community. And [we teach them] for it to be not only the people of your religion or ethnicity or race. We make sure we have a discussion about the best ways to make the world a better place.”

That sounds familiar, doesn’t it? At the Zimmer, every single one of our exhibits focuses on learning human values such as respect for others, helping those in need , generosity, and making the world a better place. We are focused on the BIG IDEAS of global citizenship, community responsibility, and cultural sensitivity.

Click here to read more about Mitzvah Chefs.

What can you do to make the world a better place? Why not start by playing your way to a better world at the Zimmer?

Random Act of Kid-ness: Karma’s World

This week’s Random Act of Kid-ness features a new website that promotes good deeds among children. The website Karma’s World was developed by Ludacris and his 10 year old daughter, Karma Bridges, as a way for children to have fun while learning about kindness, honesty, and manners. Ludacris says:

We wanted the site to be educational, fun and full of music that all kids will enjoy, but we also wanted it to teach kids more than just academics. The site touches on subjects like, the rewards of hard work and importance of learning manners as well as the idea that doing good deeds for others will bring good into your life – which is the meaning of the word Karma. 

We love when parents and their kids work together on projects to make this world a better place! Check out the website, and let us know what you think! For more information, click here.

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“Once you begin to acknowledge random acts of kindness – both the ones you have received and the ones you have given – you can no longer believe that what you do does not matter.” -Dawna Markova 

Have You Seen It?!: Tiny Couches

Have you seen the new itty bitty furniture in Bubbie’s Bookstore?

What better place to curl up with a good book than on a nice, comfy couch? It doesn’t get much more relaxing than that. So what are you waiting for? Come try out our new couches, and stay tuned for our next Have You Seen It?! 

Random Act of Kid-ness: Doing Good in Light of Tragedy

As we approach the 10th anniversary of 9/11 this Sunday, we feature a very special Random Act(s) of Kid-ness from Illinois, where a teacher is asking her students to do good deeds as part of the National 9/11 Day of Service.

“When you study 9/11 in the schools, it’s always so depressing and so horrible. I want the kids to see that even when something horrible happens, you can take it, learn something from it, and turn it into a positive act for your future.”

-Christine Adrian, teacher

Read the full story here, and let us know what you think of this inspiring effort.

Note: This Sunday, the Zimmer will be offering free admission all day. We will also be hosting a very special program, Wishes for Our World. The Zimmer is a place for families across our city to gather and play together. Families will contribute to a communal art piece for the museum created from our collective dreams for a better world.

Zimmer Children’s Museum CEO Esther Netter Says “Welcome!”

“We learn by doing” is the premise for our museum, our educational outreach, and our play. Welcome to the Zimmer Children’s Museum, where kids can learn how to rescue by imagining themselves as a coast guard boat captain, as a fire fighter, or as an ambulance driver. At the Zimmer, we teach about building community by giving our visitors the chance to build theirs. Through art, creative role play, imagination, innovation, and sheer play, children of all ages can learn about what it takes to be an active part of a community by participating in our exhibits and programming. And when you are too old for the museum, you can learn by doing community service, taking action, and being a peer leader in the Zimmer’s youTHink initiative. We all learn by doing, so come visit us and “do.” 

 

“Not many years ago I began to play the cello. Most people would say that what I am doing is ‘learning to play’ the cello. But these words carry into our minds the strange idea that there exists two very different processes: (1) learning to play the cello; and (2) playing the cello. They imply that I will do the first until I have completed it, at which point I will stop the first process and begin the second. In short, I will go on ‘learning to play’ until I have ‘learned to play’ and then I will begin to play. Of course, this is nonsense. There are not two processes, but one. We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way.”

- John Holt, from Chicken Soup for the Soul: 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit