Entertainment for the Whole Family

Festival de la Familia children’s area features hands-on children’s arts and crafts, family games, as well as musical and dance performances on the Children’s stage. In keeping with the theme of the Festival, our busy and interactive children’s area focuses on family, providing a high-energy, fun and safe entertainment. 

See Workshop Descriptions (below)

CHILDREN’S AREA (AREA DE LOS NINOS)
AZTEK DANZANTE SCHEDULE

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The following workshops go throughout the day in the Children’s Area:

“How Adobe is Used Throughout the Americas in the Construction of Homes and Buildings”
– THE SACRAMENTO STATE UNIVERSITY CHAPTER, SOCIETY OF HISPANIC ENGINEERS
In conjunction with Engineers Without Borders

Mixing up dirt, sand, straw, and some water and placing the mixture in pre-made wooden forms, children will experience first-hand how our ancestors created their own building materials. Structures made from adobe will be displayed. Children will use some already-made adobe bricks to build a structure at Festival. Instructions on how to make their own bricks will be taken home and will be printed both in English and in Spanish. One of the SHPE students recently built an outdoor fireplace, using bricks that he had made. Pictures of this fireplace will be displayed. The SHPE students will be making bricks one month before Festival so that there will be some adobe bricks dried and ready for the use of the children participating in this activity.

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“Using Golf as a Way of Paying for College and the University”
– LATINO JUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION
Gilbert Lunes

The Latino Junior Golf Association (LJGA) will invite children of all ages to learn putting on the portable putting green the Association will provide. Unlike in the past, when the golf experience was separate from the Children’s Area, this year LJGA will set up its portable putting green in an area under the canopy in the Children’s Area. Children will be taught putting, and parents and children will learn about the availability of scholarships in golf at major colleges and universities across the country and how those scholarships go wanting for Latino youth.

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“Making Items to Celebrate Each Latin American Country”
– Girl Scouts Heart of Central California

The Girl Scouts will provide a variety of hands-on activities to celebrate the 22 Latin American countries. These activities will be easily accomplished by children as young as five years of age. Children will make items that they can take home and enjoy with their families. Each item created will be representative of a country in Latin America.

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“Celebrating Latin American Cultures Through Face Painting”
– Lillie, Lulu and Friends Face Painting

Two face painters will be available throughout the day on Sunday, April 25, so that each child has the opportunity to choose one of an assortment of designs to be painted on his/her face. Designs will include some representative of the Latin American countries celebrated at Festival de la Familia. Bright colors will be used, topped off with a touch of sparkling glitter. Extra sensitivity will be given to very young children who may be having their faces or hands painted for the very first time. Each child will have the opportunity to view herself/himself in the mirror with delight!

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“Dia de las Madres: Making Cards to Celebrate Our Mothers”

In each of the 22 countries listed in Festival’s website, Dia de las Madres (Mother’s Day) is celebrated to honor and celebrate our mothers. Not many of Festival’s child participants are aware that Dia de las Madres is celebrated in countries such as the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, and Chile. Materials for the making of the Mother’s Day cards will be made available to the children. The Activity Guide working with the children will describe how Mother’s Day is celebrated in each of the 22 countries that constitute the Latin American countries.

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Latin American Map Game – Land on a Country and Get Your Picture Taken Free!”

A new activity this year is the “Latin American Map Game”, a geography lesson involving Latin American countries. This is a 4 foot x 6 foot (or 3 foot x 5 foot) game board, comprised of an enlarged map of all 22 Latin American countries. The game is played by one child at a time. The child takes a ball, slightly wetted with water-color paint, and tosses the ball at the map. The ball will make an impression on the country “chosen”. The child will then be escorted to Myra’s Digital Photos, contributing 500 free photographs of the “winning” children, and a picture will be taken of the child, holding an individual map of the country “hit”. The Activity Guide will share a little about the country the child has “selected”.

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“Making Butterflies in the Guadalupanas Tradition”

The Guadalupanas are that group of women, typically elders, who work to support the churches in their communities. Guadalupanas are found in every Latin American country where Catholicism prevails. The Guadalupanas Societies typically do fundraisers for their church communities. These events, jamaicas, have traditional foods for sale as well as activities for children. Making mariposas (butterflies) is one such activity. These mariposas are made by taking a heavy weight paper, cut into the shape of a butterfly, and decorating it with crepe paper attached with glue, paints, and other craft-like materials. During this activity, children will select a butterfly cut-out and decorate it in a way that expresses their own unique personalities.

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“Making Necklaces in the Traditional Mexican Way”

The Guadalupanas Societies typically do fundraisers for their church communities. These events, Jamaicas, have traditional foods for sale as well as activities for children. Making necklaces using simple materials found at home is one such activity. The Activity Guide will have dyed different types of macaroni with food coloring before the day of Festival. These dyed macaroni will be placed in bowls on the table. Children will be guided in selecting the macaroni colors they would like to use in their necklaces. They will be provided with yarn on which they can string their macaroni. The Activity Guide will help the child cut the yarn to the length the child wishes. In addition to making necklaces, children could choose to make bracelets, using the same materials.

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“Danza Azteka: Enjoy Our Presentations and Learn Some Dances!”

Capitan General Pedro Espana Figueroa of the group Quinto Sol from Axochiapan, Morelos, Mexico, will present traditional Aztek dances for the enjoyment of Festival goers in the Children’s Area. He will be joined by the local groups with which he works here in Sacramento: Kalpulli Xihuacoatl and Kalpulli Itzkuauhtli. In addition to these danza presentations, Capitan General Pedro Espana Figueroa will lead several opportunities for Festival participants to learn some actual Aztek dances.

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“Making Liquados”
– Chef Steven Magana

Liquados are a part of the food culture of many Latin American countries. Chef Steven Magana, Chef at Sacramento Montessori School, will teach children from ages four up how to create healthful drinks in the traditional ways of these various Latin American countries. Children will sample the drinks that they prepare under Chef Magana’s direction.

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