The recent news about Haiti is heartbreaking, and we are all thinking about what we can do for the children of Haiti. Susana, a friend of ours, is making cupcakes for Haiti from her house this Saturday. It is a lemonade stand like event where she and her family are selling the cupcakes with the proceeds to benefit Doctors Without Borders.
You might be wondering what does this have to do with outdoor play? It has everything to do with building an outdoor community and getting people outside for a good cause. It helps parent and kids come together and hopefully to play together while helping those who are in so much need that play could be the last thing on their minds..
Chip Danoe, organizer of a nature club in Virginia, http://kidsadventuring.org/blog/ hosted a walk in their park to fundraise for a local food bank.
Which makes me think that we should all try to organize fundraisers in 2010 for Haiti, based on getting kids outside in our communities. Haiti is going to need a lot of help in the year coming, not just the next few months. So we want to challenge everyone to organize outdoor fundraising events. Let us create an outdoor play movement to fundraise for Haiti... Action For Haiti, Skating for Haiti, Sledding for Haiti, Skiing for Haiti, Walk in the Park for Haiti, Snow Art for Haiti, Bike in the Forest for Haiti… It does not matter how big or small the event, just do it!
In “The Beach” outdoor playgroup, we are thinking about selling waffles and hot chocolate as part of our weekly outdoor playgroup for starters. We are also talking about organizing an outdoor ice-skating day or a sledding day (if we get some snow again) for Haiti relief. I know it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the damage in Port au Prince, but even if you raise $20 and drop it in a Red Cross collection box, the playgroup can feel like they have done something tangible. And who knows, maybe it will be much more AND you get to go outside while you are raising money.
When you are looking for organizations to give your funds, it is important that you choose a well know organization like Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders. (There have recently been a lot of spammers trying to get money without being a legal organization.)
Some ideas for what you can do in your neighborhood to get kids outside and raise money for Haiti.
Organize walks in your community
Sledding parties (a Sled-athon?)
Skating parties
Organize hikes in the park
Let the kids make snow art in the snow
Get to know the neighbors by walking in your neighborhood asking for donations to your cause.
Make bird food and sell it to people
Make seedlings to people and sell it (too early to do in cold climate)
Do you have any ideas to add?
