^{Activities, events and times subject to change.}

Explore Kaleidoscope Colloquiums!

A dynamic space for hands-on activities, storytelling, and cultural programming, the Kaleidoscope Colloquiums in the Kaleidoscope Room invite you to engage in crafts, games, and rotating interactive experiences inspired by global traditions. Designed to spark curiosity and creativity, these workshops will host community partners, artists, and educators who bring beliefs, faith-based and cultural storytelling to life. Families can explore a diverse collection of books and resources that encourage conversations about friendship, respect, and understanding.

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March – Kaleidoscope Colloquiums

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Paper Bag Donation: Let’s decorate some paper bags to donate to the Kids Meals organization!  Service and gift-giving are a big part of the Ayyam-i-Ha celebration observed by people of the Bahai faith.  This holiday marks the intercalary days that are inserted into the Bahai calendar to ensure that the Bahai new year (called Naw Ruz) falls on the vernal equinox.  To celebrate, Bahais often host community gatherings and focus on charity, service projects and sharing gifts with loved ones.                                                                                                                                            

When: February 22^nd – March 1^st All Day in Kaleidoscope

Noisemakers: Let’s make noisemakers to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Purim.  This holiday commemorates the  story of Esther saving the Jewish people from the bad Haman who planned to harm the Jewish people.  Celebrations for Purim include giving gifts to others, community parties and the reading of the book of Esther.  One of the most important traditions is reading the story of Purim and making noise whenever the name of the bad man Haman is mentioned.  The Jewish people use rattles called graggers to make the noise.  Today we are making a slightly different type of noisemaker.

When: February 27^th – March 6^th All Day in Kaleidoscope

Tell Me Your Story:  Let's play a sharing and talking game!  These story cubes have themes and question prompts on them to help you tell each other stories!  Sharing is how we learn about each other and connect!                    

When: March 1^st – 31^st All Day in Kaleidoscope

Springtime Trees: Come make a tissue paper tree to celebrate the Hindu holiday of Holi!  This Springtime festival is also known as the Festival of Colors, the Festival of Light and the Festival of Love and is celebrated all over the world, but especially in India.  Your tissue paper trees celebrate the Springtime growth and honor the rich vibrance of Holi’s colors.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

When: March 3^rd – 15^th All Day in Kaleidoscope

Fanous Suncatchers: Join us in making Fanous Lantern Suncatchers to decorate your windows and celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  The Fanous lanterns originated in Egypt and spread in popularity throughout the Muslim world.  The Fanous are a symbol of hope and celebration during Ramadan.  They come in all shapes, colors and sizes and they light up the evening festivities when Muslims break their fast with Iftar.                                    

When: March 7^th – 20^th All Day in Kaleidoscope

Haftseen Table: Let’s design a haftseen table to celebrate Naw-Ruz (Nawurz or Nooruz)!  This is a holiday to honor the start of spring as well as the start of the Iranian and Persian calendars!  This new year celebration is a cultural holiday as well as a religious holiday for traditions such as Zoroastrianism and Bahai.  There are many different traditions around Naw-Ruz, one of which is the creation of a haftseen table which holds seven specific items to start the new year with hope and rejuvenation.  “Haft” means “seven” and “seen” means “S” in Farsi and all seven of the special items start with the letter “S”.                                                                                                                                  

When: March 16^th – 21^st All Day in Kaleidoscope

Dharma Wheel:  We are making the Dharma Wheel or Dharmachakra to honor the Theravada Buddhist New Year!  Theravada is one of the two main branches of Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhists honor the first full moon in April as the start of their new year.  This is a holiday of reflection, self-contemplation, meditation, and family reunion.  Theravada New Year is celebrated differently in different countries and communities.  For example, in Thailand’s Songkran festival it is popular to have a large playful water fight to celebrate the start of the rainy season.  The dharma wheel is the principal symbol of Buddhism and is commonly understood to represent the perfection of the Buddha’s teachings (dharma).  In this case, the Dharma Wheel has the message of the Noble Eightfold Path, one of the most fundamental aspects of Buddhist teaching.

When: March 21^st – April 1^st All Day in Kaleidoscope

Diya Lamp Banner: Let’s make a Diya Lamp Banner to celebrate the Jain holiday of Mahavira Jayanti.  This holiday honors the birthday of Jain spiritual teacher Mahavir who was instrumental in the spread of Jainism and important aspects of the faith such as ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth) and aparigraha (non-attachment).  Jains honor Mahavira Jayanti through many different practices including visiting temples, meditation, prayer, charity work and participating in religious processions.  Diya lamps are important parts of temple, meditation center and processional decoration.

When: March 22^nd – 31^st All Day in Kaleidoscope