Foster kids and their Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Volunteers joined our staff and partners for our “reading is FUN-damental” themed event, Adventures in Bookland Bash. The enriching activities took place at our Milpitas office on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
With kid-friendly music filling the office, our children checked in at our registration table and received a bright, colorful passport. The passport documented their travel through the different academic stations and once they were done, they received a prize. Each station was staffed by one of our following partners: Bookelicious, San Jose Public Library, Bring Me a Book Foundation and therapy dogs from Canine Companions.
The CASAs and kids wandered through the office before exploring the first stop which was hanging out with therapy dogs in the reading lounge area. After snuggling and reading to the dogs, the kids moved on to the next stop with the San Jose Public Library. They tested their spelling through an alphabet soup game followed by signing up for library cards. The next stop with Bookelicious included building online avatars called Bookmojis, through Bookelicious’ platform designed for children. Based on the avatar they created, the platform recommends children’s books based on their interests and age. Bookelicious then gifted our kids with free children’s books of their choice.
To store their new books, the children stepped outside to the third stop with Bring Me a Book Foundation to decorate cubbies. Following painting, gluing and bedazzling their cubbies, the kids and their CASAs went back inside to enjoy a pizza party. Once everyone had a bite to eat, the kids visited the last stop with our friends from Red Ladder Theater Company for a reader’s theater of the children’s book, Ferdinand the Bull.
After completing their passports, the kids were surprised with a Dr. Seuss-themed scavenger hunt with additional prizes through the office while their CASAs stayed behind for an educational workshop. The event concluded with an encore of a reader’s theater performance of Frog and Toad.
Foster kids statistically test poorer in academic skills, including reading. Reading is a strong fundamental to a child’s development. Through reading, children develop their empathy, build confidence and expand their imagination. Providing foster children with access to various books and nurturing their interest in reading is crucial in setting up their academic success. By the end of the event, our kids learned new fun reading activities and left with a few books of interest to support their love of reading while encouraging literary confidence.
This event was made possible by the generosity of all the partners that SHOWED UP to nurture our children’s love for reading.
If you have any questions or are interested in sponsoring a youth-related event, please contact our development department at development@childadvocatessv.org.
