International Festival

Although we are working our way through state history and US Geography this year, next year, my goal is to begin a World Geography/Cultures study.  (I'll share more on this in a few months.)  To whet our appetite for all things "global," we joined the Architect's family at an International Festival of Nations at a local community college.  

Along with our tickets, we also purchased a "passport" for each of the kids which they took to each national booth to be stamped with a themed stamp.

The event consisted of a gymnasium full of international booths each representing a certain country or region of the world, simple craft projects, costumed nationals, and rotating song and dance performances from different world regions.  (Obviously, some of these activities could not be replicated on a smaller "at home" scale, but I thought that a FEW of them could be incorporated into an international cultures unit study.)

While we were there, the kids got to...

enjoy candy treats from their very own Danish candy cones (Denmark),

watch an origami demonstration (Japan),

make their own Viking Runestone (Norway),

make copy-cat prints of famous art from the Lourve (France),

display their art in an "art gallery",

listen to African drums, watch a group of Pakistani dancers, and get a crash course in salsa dance steps,

see close up replicas of birch bark canoes and Native American art (USA),

make tissue paper rosettes, see a tortilla making process display (Mexico),

visit a tribal hut (Africa),

visit a small-scale replica of a Pakistani home (Pakistan),

ride in a real gondola (Italy),

and get a national flag painted on their cheek.

It was definitely a great introduction to global cultures.  And has gotten us all excited for all the world "traveling" we will do together in the coming year!

Sad to say, this was our first field trip in quite a long time.

Have you taken any fun field trips lately?  Where have you gone?