^{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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November – Kaleidoscope Colloquiums

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Papel Picado: We are making Papel Picado decorations to celebrate Día de los Muertos!  The “Day of the Dead” is an important Mexican cultural holiday that is centered around honoring deceased loved ones.  Celebrations include adding offerings to Ofrendas, dancing and playing music. Papel Picado, a popular decoration for Día de los Muertos, is a traditional folk art made by cutting elaborate designs in paper banners.  

When: October 26^th – November 2^nd All Day in Kaleidoscope

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Paper Flower:  Join us in making beautiful paper flowers to honor Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birthday.  Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism and the first of the 10 Gurus (the spiritual and social leaders of the Sikh community).  He worked to build his community on the principles of equality, fraternity and virtue.  Many of his messages can be read today in the Guru Granth Sahib – the Sikh holy book.  

When: November 1^st – 8^th All day in Kaleidoscope

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Valuable Word: Come make a paper heart decoration that illustrates something important about your caring identity.  This activity encourages kids to think about their loved ones as well as positive actions that put love and connection into the world.  Kids can think about someone they care about and what that individual does to make them feel good.  Alternatively, kids can also think about their own identity and characteristics.  This activity is vague enough that it allows for creativity and self-expression through words and drawings.

When: November 1^st – 30^th All day in Kaleidoscope

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Paper Floating Lanterns:  Let’s celebrate the Thai festival of Loy Krathong by making fun paper lanterns!  Loy Krathong is one of the biggest festivals in Thailand and it is centered around making and sending small, illuminated boats/lanterns down the country’s rivers.  These lanterns, called Krathongs, are made of natural materials like banana stalks, flowers and leaves.  When people place them in the rivers, they express their gratitude and wishes for the future.  Depending on the region, customs and beliefs of the celebrators, Loy Krathong can connect to the Hindu goddess Ganga, the Hindu god Lord Vishnu, Lord Buddha, the Buddhist monk Venerable Upagupta or a worship of the ancestors.

When: November 4^th – 12^th All day in Kaleidoscope

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Paper Bag Art:  Join us in making decorated paper bags to celebrate the Japanese cultural holiday of Shichi-Go-San.  This holiday, which translates to “Seven-Five-Three in Japanese”, honors children’s growth, specifically girls aged 3 and 7 and boys aged 5.  This festival has been celebrated in Japan for centuries and is a fun “rite of passage” event for children.  Families often visit a Shinto shrine, express gratitude for their children reaching these ages and ask for blessings for the future.  After the ceremonies, children receive long, thin, hard candy sticks called Chitose Ame in decorated paper bags.

When: November 9^th – 19^th All day in Kaleidoscope

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Big Moments of Your Year Game:  Let's make a game board to celebrate the big moments of your year!  Everyone has different events/times of year they like to celebrate.  Did you know that people from different cultures can even have different calendar systems?  For instance, some people follow a lunar calendar which bases times of year off of the moon, while others follow a solar calendar which uses the position of the sun to chart time.  With this activity you can write and draw important holidays, milestones, events, ect. of your year and turn it into a fun game!

When: November 13^th – 20^th All day in Kaleidoscope

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Ojos de Dios:  We are making Ojo de Dios (God’s Eye) in honor of Native American Heritage Month.  Ojos de Dios are brightly colored woven ritual and spiritual objects that originated with the Huichol people of Mexico.  The designs were often made by parents as a form of prayer for the long life, health and safety of their children.  

When: November 20^th – 30^th All day in Kaleidoscope

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Candle Cards:  Join us in making candle greeting cards to celebrate the Christian holiday of Advent.  This is a time of spiritual preparation leading up to Christmas. Christians often fast, pray and repent during this time in advance of the anticipation, hope and joy of the Christmas season.  Lighting advent wreaths with 3 purple candles and 1 pink/white candle that symbolize hope, peace, joy and love is an important part of the Advent season.  

When: November 21^st – 30^th All day in Kaleidoscope