Educating Young Minds at the Children's Arts and Literacy Festival
For the last 12 years, the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council along with the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature (NCCIL) has hosted CALF.
What is CALF? No it isn’t a young bovine, although cute, instead the Children’s Arts and Literacy Festival is a week long celebration of art and literacy centered in the Storybook Capital of America, in the west Texas city of Abilene.
Every year the festival attracts thousands of people from all over the United States to celebrate creativity and imagination! Families meet the year’s chosen children’s author and illustrator, as well as trek all over downtown to view and play on the 27 storybook character sculptures and partake in a plethora of artistic activities.
This year we’ve jumped in and provided each participant with a unique and educational addition: an urban planning coloring and activity book designed specifically for children.
Urban planning might seem like a complex topic for young minds, but this innovative coloring book breaks down the essentials into engaging and understandable activities. The goal is to instill an appreciation for the intricate planning that goes into creating vibrant, functional, and beautiful cities, fostering an early interest in community development.
The heart of the coloring book lies in its interactive activities, each designed to engage children in different aspects of urban planning:
Planning Parks: Children can design their own park, choosing where to place trees, playgrounds, benches, and fountains. This activity teaches them the importance of green spaces in urban areas.
Traffic Management: A section on traffic management includes a maze where children can map out safe and efficient routes for cars, bikes, and pedestrians, introducing them to the challenges of organizing a city's transportation system.
Creating a Skyline: Kids can draw and color their own skyline, learning about the different types of buildings that make up a city and how they come together to create a unique skyline.
Designing a Neighborhood: This activity encourages children to plan a neighborhood, placing houses, schools, shops, and parks in a way that fosters community and convenience.
Community Garden: Children can design a community garden, deciding what plants to grow and where to place benches and paths, highlighting the benefits of urban agriculture.
Zoning Maps: An activity on zoning helps kids understand how cities are divided into different areas for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes, and why this organization is crucial for a city's functionality.
This urban planning coloring and activity book is an educational tool that empowers children with knowledge about the cities they live in and visit. By engaging in these activities, young festival-goers will not only unleash their creativity but also develop a deeper understanding of the careful planning that goes into making cities livable and sustainable. We are so proud to offer this as just one more added fun element to the annual CALF!
For more information on the festival visit: https://storybookcapitalofamerica.com/
