Fairy Tales Thrive in the Telling

Ask a dozen academics why fairy tales have such staying power and resonance and you’re sure to get a dozen different answers. Folk tales go back centuries, and the details shift and change in the telling. As books became available, and later, films were made to adapt the stories, they took on new details, additional characters, and often songs to pad out the running time. But even before the possibilities of print or animation, the tales that we know and love from our childhood had evolved and changed as the stories moved around different cultural groups.

We’re thinking about legends and folk tales a lot this week because we’re so happy to be welcoming back a really popular exhibit, last seen on the Museum floor in 2011, Once Upon a Time…Exploring the World of Fairy Tales. If you missed it the last time around, you’re in for a treat. From an African jungle to a giant’s castle, this unique and educational exhibit focuses on the power and significance of fairy tales throughout history and from around the world. Children will enter an enchanted storybook kingdom where they’ll learn the meaning and history of tales they’ve known all their lives, and others that may be new to them.

The featured tales are “Anansi and the Talking Melon,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Cinderella,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “Lon Po Po,” “The Shoemaker and the Elves,” and “Thumbelina.” Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring the origins of all of these fairy tales, starting with “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

“Jack and the Beanstalk” is correctly called an English folk tale, dating to the early 1800s, but the metaphorical “beans” came from all over Europe before the version of the tale that you might find most familiar took “root.” The concept of climbing some kind of plant life to reach an otherwise impossible-to-access realm in the sky is centuries old. Norse mythology considered a gigantic tree called Yggdrasil whose branches were in heaven, as does Buddhist tradition, where it is described as a Bodhi tree. The Book of Genesis offered the tale of Jacob’s Ladder, which also reached heaven. The “Jack and the Beanstalk” section of the exhibit features a small “beanstalk” for children to climb, which is really quite fun. Don’t worry, parents, the beanstalk doesn’t stretch quite so high that your children will vanish into the clouds!

Germanic folklore is positively packed with giants and ogres, most of whom selfishly guard treasure and need to be outwitted or defeated. That makes them the perfect antagonist for a traditional, clever, and sharp-thinking hero. England in the 15th and 16th Century brought us just such a hero in a bright young commoner, typically called Jack, who appeared in dozens of folk tales. (There’s a “house that Jack built,” for example.) Mix in a little Shakespeare – the giant’s traditional warning cry of “Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman” comes almost directly from King Lear – and the basic form of the story is pretty typical of 18th Century folklore from the British Isles.

One of the great things about fairy tales is that despite the usual conclusions like “The end” or “And they all lived happily ever after,” they’re still evolving and adapting, with no end in sight. Jack himself has been replaced in dozens and dozens of adaptations over the last seventy years by everybody from Mickey Mouse to Ernie to Nintendo’s Mario to the casts of The Goodies and The Magic School Bus, and they all bring their own spins to the story, making anybody who remembers the version that they heard or saw then retell it differently to their own children. How many trips did Jack make up to the giant’s castle, anyway? Was it just the one, or did he pilfer all the giant’s treasure over the course of a week? Was the giant a lone miser, or did he have a wife who helped Jack bedevil her cruel husband?

And is it really fair to root for Jack, stealing the giant’s gold and ensuring his grisly end? Some adaptations, including a 1952 Abbott & Costello comedy, include some rather important details about Jack and his community’s poverty, blaming the giant for stealing all the area’s gold. On the other end of the spectrum, a 2001 TV miniseries directed by Brian Henson, shown in America on CBS, painted Jack as the villain of the piece, and sent his descendant back to the kingdom of the giants to return the stolen property and atone for the crime.

How will your child interpret the story of “Jack and the Beanstalk”? How will you retell it to him or her at bedtime? We’re sure you will add a detail or two, and your child will tell a slightly different version to his or her own kids down the line as the stories continue to evolve with each new generation.

Once Upon a Time… Exploring the World of Fairy Tales opens this Saturday, May 16, and runs through July 26. We hope that you’ll come and play with us!

For more information about Jack and the Beanstalk and its cultural origins, see:
http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/jackbeanstalk/history.html
https://suite.io/john-k-davis/1wj72tj
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_and_the_Beanstalk

Q & A with Chef Tanisha!

Cooking With Colors has been one of our most popular programs over the last couple of years. Each “season” of ten weeks sees our favorite local chef, Tanisha Mott, explore healthy eating and nutritious ideas for families. Her sessions are hands-on, with lots of fruits and vegetables for her young helpers to chop and cut. With recipes, tips and suggestions for household kitchens, it’s impossible to finish a class without some new-found enthusiasm for enjoying healthy food. We caught up with Chef Tanisha after her class this week, where everybody enjoyed an avocado dip with endives, along with some samples of jicama for the families to taste.

Chef Tanisha, you’re originally from Jamaica, is that right?

It is. I was born and raised in Kingston, in Norman Gardens.

What were some of your favorite meals growing up?

I loved stewed peas, made with oxtail, stewed beef, and three different kinds of peas, and little dumplings that are called “spinners” in Jamaica. They’re called that because you roll them between your hands in a spinning motion! I also loved callaloo, which is almost a cross between spinach and collards. Once the leaf is all cleaned, you steam it like you would spinach. I love that!

What were some of the first dishes that you remember preparing yourself?

I remember making a mango stewed chicken. I worked for a fashion company, and the CEO offered to pay me if I cooked for one of his events. I was actually eating a mango when he asked me! I loved food and I loved fashion, so my career today is one of my two dream jobs!

What inspired you to become a chef?

My grandmother was always cooking, and she made everybody so happy. I wanted to do that as well, make people happy. I design plates just like I might have designed fashions! My grandmother would work at a counter and I would sit in a little cubbyhole and just watch her as she told me what she was doing. No measurements! She would say, in her Jamaican voice, “’bout so,” or “about so much.” She would always make banana fritters, and they were so ripe! She’d add a little brown sugar, vanilla, and flour.

Of all the classes that you’ve taught with families, what have been some of the kids’ favorites to make and eat?

Believe it or not, the rutabaga stew was the most popular with Cooking With Colors!

(the interviewer raises a skeptical eyebrow)

It’s true! They loved rutabagas! One student actually licked the bowl! Guacamole is always a favorite whenever I have a class, because it’s green and slimy and kids always want to play with it. Number three is my lemongrass steak. You take any kind of beef, and make a marinade with scallions, onion, ginger, olive oil, salt and pepper. Sear it or grill it; I like to grill it. Those are the top three.

If you could change any one thing about our country’s food culture, what would it be?

The way foods are being processed. There’s such a huge variety of food available, but the companies are taking all the good out to make it last longer with preservatives. If only we could go back to eating more natural!

Finally, what suggestions do you have for parents who want to teach their kids about nutrition and cooking?

Definitely have the kids be part of the process! It’s so fun for them, and it’s also easier to get them to eat things when they feel that they’ve contributed!

Thanks so much, Chef Tanisha! There are three more classes in this season of Cooking With Colors, and reservations are required. We recommend calling no later than 72 hours before the class date and time to purchase tickets. You can call our Reservations line at 404-527-3693.

Kids Resolutions

Happy 2015! We’re half-way through the first month of a new year and this month is traditionally the perfect opportunity to try new things and improve on others. “New Year’s Resolutions and Kids: A different approach to traditional goal-setting” on mom.me is a great guide to opening up a discussion with your little ones, if you haven’t already. The article encourages posing questions to them such as:

• Am I a kind person?
• How do I treat my friends, siblings, people I don’t know?
• Are all people as lucky as I am?
• What should I be thankful for?
• What am I good at?
• What do I struggle at?

These questions will help them reflect on “who they are and who they want to be” and create self-awareness. This will help them learn about appreciation, empathy, and compassion.

Here are some ideas of little resolutions for youngsters, aka preschoolers:
-Clean up my toys after I play with them.
-Wash my hands after I use the bathroom.
-Play nicely with my brother/sister.

For children a little bit older:
-Always wear my helmet while riding my bicycle.
-Turn off the TV and read a book.
-Practice (my instrument, sport, etc.).
-Trade an unhealthy snack for a healthy one.
-Do my chores the first time I am asked.

We decided to ask some of our little guests at the Museum for their resolutions and they came up with some gems:
-Plant more flowers! (especially pink ones)
-Recycle (which is perfect for our new exhibit, Super Kids Saves the World)
-Hug mommy more!

You can even make this process into a craft project by helping your kiddos make their own vision boards! Cut out pictures from magazines and draw pictures illustrating the resolutions. Decorate with stickers and glitter, and then hang up the board as a fun reminder to keep up with the resolutions. This also makes for a great opportunity to have a talk about accepting setbacks, getting back on track, and rewarding yourself for sticking with it.

Photo Sources: Washing Hands | Planting | Cleaning Up

Staff Picks: Children’s Books

The cold weather is coming! Actually, this being Georgia, the cold weather already came, went away for a bit, rained some, got hot, got cold, and warmed up, but we’re pretty sure that it’s back. Anyway, we were looking ahead to some chilly evenings curled up on the couch under a big comfy blanket reading to our little ones, which is always incredibly fun, and wondered what great books our Museum staff would suggest for occasions like this. So we put out the call and got some terrific recommendations back. Why not visit your local library or bookstore – we adore Little Shop of Stories in Decatur – and check out some of these great books?

Where The Wild Things Are

Phantom Tollbooth

James and the Giant Peach

Corduroy

Alexandra Cleveland, our Party Lead, recommends:
My favorite children’s book is Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Not only are the illustrations beautiful and iconic, but it also has a great underlying message. On the surface, the book is a great adventure of an wild boy trying to escape for his frustrations with his mother. When looked into further, the book is actually a great message to children about recognizing and dealing with emotions. As the trees and the forest begin to grow in Max’s room, it shows his growing anger of being sent to his room without dinner. The “Wild Things” and their “gnashing” display his fury that reaches a peak when he is crowned King of the “Wild Things.” At this point, Max realizes that he needs to return to home, suggesting that his anger has separated him from the one who loves him best: his mother. Whether you are good or bad, your parents will love you regardless. Max realizes this when he returns to a surprise bowl of hot soup, knowing his mother wouldn’t let him go to sleep without dinner. She still loves him no matter what.

Monica Dorsey, our Outreach Communication Coordinator, recommends:
I loved Corduroy by Don Freeman because as a young black girl, it was the first book that I read where I could see myself. I also connected with the main character, Lisa, because I loved teddy bears big and little. The book was told from the point of view of the teddy bear, which was different. The story touched my heart because he was neglected and “broken,” but she still found the beauty in him, repaired him and kept him for her own.

Jane Turner, our Executive Director, recommends:
I actually did not read James and the Giant Peach, written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake, until I had children of my own. It was the first of all of the books by Roald Dahl that I read and we all (my children and me) loved the story. I loved that James was the lovable underdog who managed to escape the clutches of two nasty, self-centered aunts and in doing so encountered a fantastic and magical world within a giant peach and with giant insect characters as friends. I loved that he prevailed through impossible (but somehow believable) challenges. I think that this book should be on every child’s bookshelf because Roald Dahl makes the unbelievable believable and in his story the young and helpless child ends up finding his strength and prevailing. It is a modern version of an old-fashioned fairy tale!

Gregg Van Laningham, Professor Labcoat, recommends:
The book I chose, The Phantom Tollbooth, written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Jules Feiffer, is a chapter book for older kids (the suggested age range is 8-12), but I read it when I was 7-almost-8. I firmly believe it should be on every child’s bookshelf, patiently waiting for the day they decide to pick it up. The book is about the journey of a young boy, Milo, through a magical, allegorical land of wordplay, mathematics, and philosophy. It is Oh, The Places You’ll Go! on steroids. Milo’s adventures begin unexpectedly, and he often finds himself confused by what he encounters, but he perseveres and is rewarded for doing so. My experience as a 7-year-old reader closely mirrored his in these respects. There are not many books that I like to re-read, but I find myself revisiting this one every few years. I get a chance to see the world that I built in my mind over two decades ago, I understand the jokes that I missed the first few times through, and I feel closer to my third grade self. I realize now that, as a child, I unwittingly learned valuable lessons about myself, other people, and the world at large from this book. It’s a good read for anybody, and perfect for precocious kids who claim that they’re bored all the time.

We’ll see if we can’t get some more great book ideas from our staff to share with you again in a follow-up post soon. In the meantime, we would love to hear from you! What children’s books are your family’s favorites?

For more info on our literacy outreach program, Connected Learning, Connected Communities, click here.

Boxes of Beauty

As we enter the season of giving, the theme for our Outside the Box exhibit will change to “Box It Up! Pay it Forward” for the month of November. The Museum is partnering with Boxes of Beauty, a nonprofit organization in Atlanta, to help do our part. We learned about Boxes of Beauty quite recently ourselves, while looking for a partner for our November campaign, somebody in the community doing good, with big ideas. It was actually the name of the group that stood out, and we thought that something called “boxes” might be a good match for Outside the Box. It certainly warranted looking a little closer, and we believe that we found a great cause.

Boxes of Beauty collects and decorates boxes for teenage girls in homeless shelters and group homes. These boxes are filled with essential items like toiletries as well as special items like makeup for the girls to use every day. In the Maker Space at the Museum, children will have the opportunity to decorate one of these boxes, while all visitors will be encouraged to bring travel sized toiletry items for donation. Teaching children about philanthropy instills values such as respect, responsibility, and integrity.

Boxes of Beauty was founded in the late summer of 2011 by Morgan Copeland, an aspiring Pediatric Cardiologist with a heart for volunteering in her community. Ms. Copeland explained that many of the girls in shelters and group homes don’t have a lot of personal effects, and that there’s an opportunity for people to feel better about themselves by simply having small items that many of us take for advantage (soap, hand sanitizer, hair bands, lip gloss, deodorant, toothbrush, etc).

Over the last few months, guests who have visited our Maker’s Space in Outside the Box have had lots of practice in designing and decorating everything from jewelry boxes to rockets to little Frank Lloyd Wright model houses. Starting this weekend, we’re looking forward to using those skills to decorate lots and lots of boxes – about the size of shoe boxes – for Boxes of Beauty. We want to see lots of guests using lots of creativity to make some gorgeous, imaginative, amazing, and awesome gift boxes. Come and join us and help pay it forward!

Don’t forget to check out Boxes of Beauty to learn more about getting involved!

Financial Literacy and Kids

I’d like to take a minute to talk about teaching our kids about money. Everyone seems to have a really adorable story from their kids that goes something like “sure you have enough money to buy me that toy, mommy – use the magic card in your wallet.”  Or “look there’s the magic machine that gives money let’s get ice cream.”

The major missing link here is the idea that money needs to be managed. And while your children may be too young for monthly family meetings about the family’s financial priorities, there are age appropriate ways to help lay financial ground work.

I am a strong believer of giving kids an allowance and letting them choose what to do with it – with a few basic guidelines. You have probably seen the fancy piggy banks that are out there now with the 3 compartments: Save, Spend, Give. But you could just as easily use empty jars from the kitchen. I like this method especially if you think about visual cues and how the size of the jar indicates how much of the money should go into each. And because as they get older you can add another jar for a specific short term savings goal like a bike or an Xbox.

Let’s take an example of how this might work. When you give your child her allowance, say it’s $5, you want to make sure you give it to her in smaller denominations: singles, quarters etc. A standard amount for charitable donations is 10% so encourage her to put $0.50 in the give jar. And you want to encourage a 30 – 40% savings rate so $1.50 or $2 would go in save, and the rest goes into spend.

The crucial next step is to talk to your child about the jars. There is $4 in your give jar, where do you want to donate this money? Help them understand the savings jar and why saving is important. And finally the spend jar. What does he want to spend it on? Encourage daydreaming, have him imagine buying the thing he things he wants. What would he do with it? Etc. But when it comes time for the final decisions, you have to let them choose. It really is the best way for them to learn the value of money. They will make good decisions and they will make bad ones. But it’s so much better for them to learn from this trial and error now when the stakes are lower than when they are in college or even high school.

Click the image for a downloadable PDF.

Another way to help children be good with money is to talk aloud about your thought process when you are shopping together. Even the grocery store can be useful for this purpose. “This size is the better deal because it costs less per serving.” “I know that brand is cheaper but we tried it once and we didn’t like the taste so it’s really not worth the money.” If you think aloud in this manner over multiple trips to the store you may be surprised what will stick.

As children get older the conversations can get deeper. For example, your family is planning a vacation. Make them part of the discussion about where to go and what to do while away. This could include setting a budget for the travel, hotel, meals and fun activities. It could lead to an interesting conversation about priorities. If we choose location A over location B because Aunt Minnie has a beach house at location A we can use it for a week for the same amount of money as one night in a hotel; so that means we can spend more money on activities. And look there is a cool looking water park less than an hour away. So you would be prioritizing the activities over the location. Or maybe it’s a conversation about value: We have x dollars to spend on fun activities while we are away. Here is a list of things we might do and what they would cost. How do you think we should spend this money? We can do one really big expensive thing and spend the rest of the time in the pool at the hotel or we can do several smaller things so there’s something to look forward to every day.

The most important thing you can do to help you kids understand money and how to manage their own well when they are grown-ups is to talk to them about it now and let them see what the process looks like.

Image source: Money As You Grow

Are You Smarter Than a Kid Inventor?

According to my research, the answer is no. By simply Google-ing ‘kid inventor’, I have discovered examples of inventions created by children that have completely opened my eyes to the importance of childhood imagination. My Google results have told me that children are innovative and capable of just about anything. At a young age, their minds are open and creative, not yet crushed and suppressed by the practical, adult world. And many people simply forget the brilliancy that lies within a child’s mind.

Just to point out a few mildly important examples in history, Braille was invented by Louis Braille in 1829 at just 15 years old. As a child, he was injured and went blind at the age of three. This inspired him to create a language of letters, numbers, and symbols by using raised bumps. The concept has been applied internationally in almost every language. Another amazing invention, that most of us use daily, was the first television and digital picture. Philo Farnsworth was also only 15 years old when he created the first sketches of a television in 1921. By the time he turned 21, he had created the first digital image on one of his televisions.  And finally, the familiar name in every history textbook, Alexander Graham Bell. Most people know him for inventing the telephone, but little do people know that he was hard at work even as a child. At age 12, he invented a wheat de-husking machine for mills in the food business. These children changed the world in a serious way with their inventions.

But there were other inventions that were also just as impactful, but maybe not so serious. Everyone’s favorite summer treat, and a booming business seen in and around Atlanta, was invented by an 11 year old. The Popsicle was accidentally created by Frank Epperson in 1905 when he left his drink made with fruity Kool-Aid powder and water outside over night with the stirring stick still in the cup. The next morning, he found his drink frozen and still delicious. He began selling them a few years later calling them “epsicles”. Another favorite, and very popular toy, was also a kid invention. The trampoline was invented by George Nissen at 16 to help with his gymnastics and diving skills. Now, it is a toy that everyone enjoys bouncing around on! And lastly, this final fun example applies to kids and adults looking to warm their ears in the bitter cold winters. Chester Greenwood of Maine is famously known for inventing the ear muffs in 1874 at age 15 to protect and warm his ears in the cold Maine winters. His scarf was too bulky and itchy to fit around his head, so he designed the ear muff and had his grandmother sew the creation together. Now thanks to Chester, even those in the south sport the fluffy and warm garment in the winters.

These examples are all major and impactful inventions from American history and created by kids! But, the suggestion to parents is not necessarily to expect a child to create a history-altering invention; the purpose is to encourage kids to utilize their creativity and their innovation. An article on psychologytoday.com writes about the importance of exposing kids to arts as it leads to greater innovation as an adult. The article discusses a study that was conducted at Michigan State University saying that “childhood participation in arts and crafts leads to innovation, patents, and increases the odds of starting a business as an adult.” (The full article is listed here for a great read!). So, put no limits on what kids can create with their imaginations. Allow them to “think outside the box”. The theme of the Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s exhibit is just that, ‘Outside the Box’. The space is supplied with as many boxes and creative pieces a child could need to create whatever their mind designs. So are you smarter than your kid inventor? I’m not so sure, but come find out and invent with your kids at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s ‘Outside the Box’.

 

Summer Camp Matters

Are you ready for summer camp? Are you ready for a completely awesome summer camp? Over the last ten years, the counselors and staff at The Children’s Museum of Atlanta have watched a legion of kids explore a little independence and have a whole lot of fun at our Adventure Camp.

So much of what preschoolers do is built around their growing sense of identity and their cautious steps toward independence. They love to explore, and at our Adventure Camp, which is designed for campers aged four to six, they get some of their first opportunities to take a little control over their surroundings without the comfort of their caregivers. We love seeing them decorate their camp T-shirts, explore each of the Museum’s learning zones in detail and enjoy the calming effects of yoga and the invigorating effects of playing in our “front yard”, Centennial Olympic Park.

April Fresh has been a participating parent for several years. Her older children, Kalea, 8, and Didier, 6, are seasoned veterans of summers with us. Their younger sister Farren, 4, is coming to Adventure Camp for the first time this summer and can’t wait to experience all the fun that her siblings have shared. “Every day, they wanted to go back,” April says. “They want to stay in aftercare when camp had finished for the day. They’re having so much fun that they don’t want to come home!”

Mrs. Fresh was very pleased by the camp’s guest visitors. Last year, the children got to meet some snakes and lizards and were so excited. Getting to see the reptiles up close even minimized some of Kalea’s fear of snakes. They loved coming home every day with something new to talk about with their families and Mrs. Fresh was happy to report that her children pick our camps over any of the others in town.

So, why is traditional day camp important? Let campers be the ones to tell you.

• 96% of campers say that “camp helped me make new friends.”
• 92% say, “Camp helped me feel good about myself.”
• 70% of camp parents say, “My child gained self-confidence at camp”

The American Camp Association additionally believes that among the many benefits of the camp experience, day camp uniquely:

• Provides the camp experience for campers that are too young, anxious about being away from home, or just not ready for residential camp.
• Can create the foundation needed for successful longer-term experiences away from home.
• Allows for a greater partnership between the camp and the camper’s parents surrounding the growth and skill building that takes place at summer camp.

Morris Cohen, author over at DNAinfo.com, recently wrote about the long-term benefits of summer camp. In the article, he discusses psychologist Daniel Goleman’s findings about social intelligence and how summer camp can enhance social intelligence in children.

Camp is a key opportunity for kids to develop both sides of their social intelligence by offering them a way to practice becoming adept at socializing by offering them access to many new people and environments.

The more children can practice their social intelligence, the more smoothly they can incorporate the skills for the rest of their lives.

With children being in school for the first 18-or-so years of their lives, allowing them to branch out in experiences during summer camp certainly will help them become the best versions of themselves.

Source: American Camp Association – Why Day Camp Matters