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Children's Enrichment Activities: Imaginary Vacations
The children at Avion Place Apartments took a trip to Nicaragua on July 29, 2008. They walked through the old cathedral in Managua, which was partly destroyed during the 1972 earthquake, climbed the Masaya Volcano, and explored the tropical rainforest at El Cebollal. They also created their own beautiful pottery alongside master artisans.
And they still got home in time for dinner.
On an Imaginary Vacation, children can go anywhere, even places as far away as Nicaragua, Italy and Spain. Carla E. Aguilar, former development and communications manager for Merced Housing Texas had the opportunity to visit Nicaragua in the summer of 2008 through a St. Mary's University (StMU) Sustainable Human Development class, and led the children on their imaginary trip through pictures taken during the trip and other activities.
Children participated in an arts and crafts activity, in which they painted their own pottery. Nicaragua has many exceptional artisans including potters. A lot of the Nicaraguan pottery is made in the village of San Juan de Oriente, in Masaya, Nicaragua. The children had a chance to show off their artwork as they learned about the everyday activities and culture of Nicaragua.
The trip was coordinated by the staff at the Center for Global Education at Augsburg College in conjunction with Dr. Larry Hufford, professor of International Relations at StMU. Dr. Hufford is also on the Merced Housing Texas Board of Directors.
In the end, the children left the community center knowing a little more about Nicaragua and the world, all without leaving San Antonio.
Imaginary Vacations are created to expose children to different cultures and broaden their worldview. All Imaginary Vacations have an educational component, in which children learn about the geography, economy and history of a country. They also have the opportunity to sample a tasty dish from each country that is highlighted.
In the past, children at the various multi-family properties have gone on Imaginary Vacations to: Spain, Italy, Canada, France, and Germany.