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Virtual Pajama Party

We hosted a Virtual Pajama Party on Saturday, September 25, 2021. This online event for kids aged 8–12 and their families focused on , an inspiring book based on a true story — and featured civil-rights activist and title character Sylvia Mendez, and acclaimed author Winifred Conkling!

Watch a recording of the pajama party and learn more about the program in the details below.

Overview

• We focused on themes of fairness, friendship, civil rights, and persisting through adversity.
• Participants read the book  in advance.
• Sylvia Mendez and Winifred Conkling participated live during the pajama party.
• Hands-on activities were provided in advance.

Pre-Program Hands-on Activities

These optional at-home activities were posted in the lead-up to our live program on September 25th. They make connections to the program themes, and include writing and art, historical documents, and visual sources. While the suggested age range for the pajama party was 8-12, younger siblings were invited to participate, and the activities support multi-age learning. Children were invited to share their works in advance, and these were featured during the program.

Other Past Pajama Parties

March 2021

This online event focused on women's history in sports and the Olympics – and featured Olympic gold medalist and author Laurie Hernandez! 

Participants read . The book, written by Hernandez, is a memoir of her life in gymnastics, training for the Olympics, and post-Olympic experiences. It emphasizes the importance of trying new things, setting goals, hard work, and persistence.

Hands-on activities were provided in advance:

Activity 1: Women and Girls in Sports

Choose an art or writing activity.  to learn about the activities, and use the following links to view the historical photographs and film mentioned in the video:

Activity 2: Women and the Olympics

, and use these links to view the historical photographs and letter shared in the video:

Activity 3: Gymnastics

, and use these links to view the historical photographs, film, and patent in the video:

October 2020

We hosted our first-ever Virtual Pajama Party on Saturday, October 17, 2020. We learned about Jackie Robinson, including his barrier-breaking career in baseball, but also his lifelong commitment to civil rights work through civic engagement and advocacy.

Participants read the historical fiction book in advance. The book was written by children’s author Sharon Robinson, about a real episode in her father Jackie Robinson’s life. Ms. Robinson read a section of her book and answered audience questions.

Hands-on activities included:

Activity 1: Welcoming Strangers

Select art or writing activities surrounding ideas of welcoming others and feeling welcome or unwelcome.  to learn about the activities, and use the following links to view the historical photographs shared in the video:

Activity 2: Heroes

Choose art or writing activities about heroes. , and access the historical photographs and comic book referenced in the video here:

Activity 3: Making Mistakes and Making Changes

Select art or writing activities about making mistakes and learning how to make better choices. Use the following links to view the historical photographs and letter shared in the video:

Activity 4: Standing Up Against Discrimination

Activity 4 was shared during our , and featured the following ÍþÄá˹ÈËÓéÀÖ³¡ documents: