Are you free this Sunday, 16 December 2012?
Would you like to do your part for peace?
Would you like to give your children and our world
Gifts that will last beyond a lifetime?
Gifts of Empathy, Love and Peace.
Please read on to find out how.

All the recent media brouhaha over  ‘purposeful play‘ may have got me all riled up. But here today, I think I may JUST have discovered that maybe, just maybe there is some validity to this idea of  ‘purposeful play’. My new epiphany for ‘purposeful play’ can perhaps be summarised by this equation:

Play + Charity + For Peace =
Play + Purpose =
Purposeful Play

What am I talking about?

Just last week, I found out from a fellow playful mom, Udiana,  about this grounds-up fundraising initiative called ‘Ummi At Play for Gaza‘.

GAZA is that hot strip of land between Palestine and Israel that has been in a state of tension and war for I don’t know how long, but it’s too long. I’m not going to go into the political and religious discussion of this war. BECAUSE as far as I am concerned as a Christ-follower, ANY war where women, innocent children AND babies are being massacred, it SURELY tears the heart of our Daddy God. The one who has sent His Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for the entire world – red, yellow, black or white, current faith beliefs notwithstanding.

What I soon discovered about this Charity Event just BLEW my mind, TOUCHED my heart and HUMBLED me greatly.

We talk so much about ‘character development’ of our children. We say, ‘Yes! It’s is more important to nurture the soul of our children than get them scoring As’.  BUT when and how do we ever put our hands where our words are to show our children what empathy is?

But here IS a group of MOTHERS with children, who ARE BUSY people, coming together to do their bit for a community living in a different world from theirs.

There will be lots of interesting activities for your child and family to do together!

100% of the proceeds will go directly to Mercy Relief Gaza Project, a non-religious charity. (This which means it is a charity relief organisation that is NOT Muslim, NOT Christian, but FOR ALL HUMANITY who need help).

The event aims to raise $15,000. About $8,000 has been raised through sales of various handmade goods such as cupcakes and busy bags.  The charity playdate will hopefully generate more funds. With your support and presence, I am sure it will!

Highlights of Activities You and Your Child can enjoy:

With the exception of a few activities which may have a fixed donation amount, most of the other activities will be on a Give-As-You-Like donation basis. This is so as not to deny any child play as low-income families have also been invited.

Hands-On Play

• painting
• dough play
• bean planting
• craft activities using recycled materials
• cardboard play ala Caines Arcade (inspired by this blog’s Cardboard Dreams!)
• exploring a Reggio-inspired Light Play Room.

Short Film Screenings

• Oliver Jeffers’ Lost and Found
• Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo
• Latest release of Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo’s Child

Storytelling

• Ummi at Play mothers are planning storytelling sessions with books and stories of humanitarian themes of love, and friendship.

Workshop on Play

• Nurturing Compassion and Empathy in our Little Ones through play

Meaningful Spending

There will also be lots of wonderfully handmade things you can buy. These are wonderful creative kits that will you and your children can enjoy playing together. It’s kind to your family, kind on the environment and kind to the world.

All proceeds from sales go directly to Mercy Relief. The cost of materials has been borne by the families.

I’m planning to go down this Sunday, after church, to the event.
(UPDATE 14 Dec: I’m going to do a short storytelling there! It’ll be either at 2 or 3pm. Do Come!)
I live in the far east, and sure, going down to the far west for this is an inconvenience I don’t enjoy.
But hey, not only is it for a worthwhile cause, I get to enjoy so many experiences with my children.

So what about you?

Even if you cannot make it, please do consider supporting this event by helping with the publicity of it. Share it. Tweet it.

The Details:

What? Charity Playdate by Ummi at Play
When? 16 Dec, 2012, Sunday
Where? Kowabunga Education Centre, 3 mins walk from Bukit Gombak MRT. Location details here

The Ummi team behind this Charity Playdate has kindly given me an interview to tell us more about the inspiration and hopes for this event. Please give me some time to organise that for publication!