EDITOR: Parents and their young children had a chance to engage
in hands-on art activities at the fifth Annual Art ala Carte and
Children
’s Safety Faire held at the Cultural and Community Center.
EDITOR:
Parents and their young children had a chance to engage in hands-on art activities at the fifth Annual Art ala Carte and Children’s Safety Faire held at the Cultural and Community Center.
First 5, as part of its ongoing arts enrichment initiative that provides cultural art activities to families with children 0 through age 5, once again teamed up with the Morgan Hill Recreation and Community Services Division, and the Morgan Hill Police Department to cosponsor the event. More than 1,000 children and adults came to this wonderful interactive art event and safety fair and enjoyed not only the weather but also the live on-stage Latin music provided by Trio Oro. More than 100 families who participate in other First 5 programs within the South County region were also provided transportation enabling them to come join in the fun and educational hands-on art activities with their young children.
First 5 is proud to sponsor Art ala Carte. Events like this give us the opportunity to engage parents in working together with their young children with arts activities they can do at home as well. At First 5 we believe that arts enrichment activities are an important piece of the developmental puzzle that will help parents and caregivers prepare young children for success in school and in life.
The Art ala Carte and Children’s Safety Faire has become an annual family event in Morgan Hill and brings together families from communities throughout South Santa Clara County.
This year’s theme was “Art Around the World” and featured a variety of hands-on multicultural art projects. There were more than 15 fun-filled interactive stations with different art projects for children to explore and enjoy, among them a multicultural world mask, Japanese Fish Prints, Mexican Maracas and Hawaiian Paper Lei. In addition, children had the chance to participate in a Play Dough and Bird Seed station, had their face painted and explored a unique rock collection. Other attractions included, the Morgan Hill Police Department’s Children’s Safety Fair and Bike Rodeo, the K-9 Unit, and the Fire Safety Smokehouse sponsored by the Santa Clara County Fire Department.
Research shows that a child’s brain develops most dramatically in the first five years and what parents and caregivers do during these years to support their child’s growth will have a meaningful impact throughout life. Based on this research, California voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998, adding a 50 cent-per-pack tax on cigarettes to support programs for expectant parents and children ages prenatal through age 5. First 5 Santa Clara County distributes approximately $25 million a year in Prop. 10 revenues to programs and services that meet local needs. First 5 is committed to promoting and supporting the healthy development of children prenatal through 5 and their families. For more information about us visit www.santaclarakids.org
Eleanor Villarreal, First 5 Commissioner
and District 1 representative, Gilroy
