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12/2/13 blog post

how rainbow looms and #GivingTuesday unite

Have you seen the latest craft kid craze?? Rainbow Looms!! The craze started in our house with the boys bringing home these cool rubber band bracelets, made for them by friends. After visiting family in Columbus and watching the kids interact (& be creative while being quiet) with their cousins’ looms, we stopped at a nearby Michael’s and made the purchase. I didn’t know it would lead to a huge donation for our children here at Dayton Children’s!

The thought to donate to Dayton Children’s started after Matthew announced he was going to make a new Rainbow Loom necklace for a friend at school because hers broke. (Wow- thoughtful!) Next, I was working with a patient in our outpatient nutrition counseling clinic and as she took a sticker, I thought, “What if we had bracelets, too, for the kids to choose from?” By this time, our boys were creating so many bracelets in our house that we needed to donate some!

After I consulted with our Child Life Activities Department and they agreed that these bracelets would be a welcomed donation AND our principal approved the project, we sent home flyers, posted on Facebook and placed a box outside the school office – the project started! Since some children may not have Rainbow Looms, we did communicate ANY donation to Dayton Children’s is always welcomed. We even added leftover Halloween Play-Doh to the box. With Giving Tuesday on December 3rd – this donation reminds us all in our house to continue to give thanks for our health while remembering how lucky we are to have Dayton Children’s Hospital nearby.

What Rainbow Looms has done for our family:

  • Creativity: The boys enjoy creating new bracelets, necklaces, rings. I find it amazing that they had the idea to watch different kinds of bracelets being made (step by step) on You Tube and then, they create it!
  • Sharing: The boys agreed to this donation project. They work on creating for the kids here in the hospital. And, they go through their own stash of bracelets and have donated some of those as well.
  • No electronics: This is forcing the boys to use their minds. The electronics are off (except when using them as a resource to learn new bracelets)!
  • Quiet time: If you have children…you understand! The boys are working together and remain quiet – yay!
  • Family bonding: At a recent family gathering, the boys and their cousins loomed along with their 2nd cousins – who they had just met. Wow!

How this project has grown at St. Christopher School: With the weather turning cold, it is time for more indoor recesses. Our principal and school have encouraged the children to bring in their looms and use recess time to create and donate. Some kids are even looming on their fingers! After reminding our principal that the donation box will be picked up on November 26th, for the boys to donate on November 27th, I learned that the entire school will be looming on St. Nick’s Day (December 6th) as an act to “give back” after St. Nick visits the school with treats. We will now donate to Dayton Children’s after December 10th.

A simple kid craft craze facilitated teaching a family and a grade school so much. Plus, we actively expressed our thanks for the fortune of our regional Dayton Children’s Hospital which is here for us in the event we need them! This year, for Giving Tuesday, how can your family continue thankfulness beyond Thanksgiving and honor a non-profit??