During the Winter school holidays, the team from Foster Library partnered with Manna Gum Community House to facilitate some great activities.
NAIDOC Week activities
During NAIDOC Week, we started our day with a children’s Sand Art workshop and then continued with lunch in the Community Garden. Both sessions were overseen by Susan Simpson, an emerging Kurnai Elder who works locally as the Koori Preschool Field Officer. During the Sand Art session Susan explained the meaning of several symbols to the children (and adults who also really wanted to take part!) and then invited them to use these to create their own story.
At lunch, Susan performed a Welcome to Country and shared her own story. She invited us to ask questions, which led to us joining her in a Welcome song and an introduction to some of the dances used to represent animals found on Country.
Thanks to Juneen and the volunteers for the delicious lunch around the fire in Manna Community Garden and Project GreenPlot for the soup.
Lego Challenge
Programs Officer Lisa hosted a super fun Lego building event at Manna Gum on the last day of the school holidays.
Lisa initially planned to set building challenges for the children. However, the kids had other ideas and worked as a team to create a magnificent 8-storey treehouse! They discussed how to make the cardboard tree stable enough, where to put the ‘branches’ and how to decorate it. It was great seeing parents, aunts, and grandparents working with the children and enjoying the activity.
If you look closely at the tree, you might see some of these things in the rooms – Harry receiving the Nimbus 2000 at Hogwart’s School of Wizardry and the students being allocated by the sorting hat. A Hawaiian beach that Trevor went on holiday to with his friend Little Dog. A Castle that holds Rapunzel in a tower. The Avengers trying to defend a town from a baddie who wants to blow the place up. Daisy the Doughnut fairy saving pirates with her doughnuts. A gingerbread house and birds eating crumbs in the woods. Peter Rabbit turning the tables and locking up humans instead of running away. A ‘Weirdo’ locked in jail for not much at all really..
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