Skill Toys Add Play to Community Festivals

This fall, Flow Circus had the opportunity to set up Skill Toy Play Stations at several community events to engage families in play. Kids of all ages challenged themselves with new toys or rediscovered toys from their youth.

Twist & Earn! Helps Teens Raise Money & Awareness

This past spring, Flow Circus sponsored a contest for librarians looking for innovative programming ideas for their teens. The Make Waves/Make Money Library Giveaway awarded Twist & Earn! tote bags to 6 libraries in the regions where we currently offer performances and workshops. These tote bags contain instructional materials and supplies needed to learn how to twist balloons in order raise money toward a goal determined by the teens.

One of the contest winners was East Greenbush Community Library in New York where teens decided to raise money for WaterAid America. WaterAid America works to provide clean, safe water and sanitation to communities in Africa and Asia. The teens twisted balloon animals at the children's Summer Reading Program kick-off event and were able to raise $86 in just one afternoon. The benefits of the program go beyond just raising money. As Tween/Teen Librarian Chrissie Morrison wrote about Twist & Earn!

I think it is a great way to work on building bridges within the community and around the world.  Getting the teens to work with other generations helps them to be seen in a positive light instead of always being looked upon as an annoyance and/or as trouble-makers.  Getting teens involved in charity work also helps them to learn more about the world around them and to DO SOMETHING about the parts they want to change/improve!

The following article highlights the work of the East Greenbush teens.

For more information about the Twist & Earn! program, visit www.twistandearn.org

Read Yourself Silly

Flow Circus helped the Wake Forest Branch Library celebrate its 13th Birthday this weekend with a performance of Read Yourself Silly. It was a beautiful November day in North Carolina ....nice enough to perform outside. The article below from the December 2009 Rolesville Buzz describes the event. For more pictures from the Wake Forest Library show, visit the Flow Circus Photo Gallery.

During the 2009-10 school year, Flow Circus will be performing Read Yourself Silly at schools and libraries throughout the East Coast. Juggling, magic, and balloons captivate audiences and help deliver a memorable message.......visit the library to learn new skills!

Upcoming Flow Circus Showcases

During February and early March, Flow Circus will be busy showcasing their stuff! These showcases are a wonderful opportunity for libraries, parks & rec departments, and educators to preview a variety of performers and identify good matches for their programming. Below is a list of upcoming showcases we are excited to be participating in:

Ramapo-Catskill Library System Performer's Showcase - Middletown, NY: February 27th

Westchester Library Association Performer's Showcase - White Plains, NY: March 3rd

Connecticut Recreation & Parks Association Entertainment Showcase - Hartford, CT: March 4th

Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library Sneak Previews- Norristown, PA: March 18th

National Library Week Resources

National Library Week is an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians. This year it is being celebrated April 12-18, 2009. As we have toured libraries from Alabama to Connecticut, we are constantly impressed by library staff and their programs to engage children, teens, and adults.

 

Libraries truly are the center of the community and we need to make sure they remain vital even when budgets get tight. If you are a library, visit the ALA site for resources to help you promote National Library Week. For everyone else, please visit your your school, community, or college library and thank the fabulous staff that make it happen!

 

Flow Circus will be celebrating National Library Week with a tour of Connecticut libraries. We hope to see you there!

A New Year. A New Site.

We have just finished redesigning FlowCircus.com to better reflect the performances and programs we offer for schools, after school programs, summer reading and teen library programs, and family festivals.

Check out our site and let us know what you think.

Thank you for all of your support in 2008!

Boys & Girls Club Achievement Report Profiles Flow Circus Club

The Flow Circus Skill Toy Club Program launched at the Wake Forest, NC Boys & Girls Club in January 08 was profiled in Making Every Moment Count: An Achievement Report From The Boys & Girls Clubs, Summer 08.  The description mentions some of the skill toys we use and some of their benefits beyond encouraging active learning.  Benefits such as patience, perseverance, dedication and teamwork. The report then goes on to mention the impact on our program had in the community by club members participating in Talent Shows and volunteering at a town festival.

Special thanks to the Koinonia Foundation, Graham Johnson Cultural Arts Endowment, and Wal-Mart for their support of this program.

The profiled member in this report is an 11 year old boy from the Wake Forest Club.  He is the recipient of the  STAR Award and is described as "the one kid who does it all".  Not surprisingly, he was also an active member of our Skill Toy Club.  Congratulations Faison!

Making Every Moment Count: An Achievement Report From The Boys & Girls Clubs - Summer 2008