Children In Balance project director Marcia Picard led a group of children and their parents in the use of Lummi sticks and the Polynesian art of Philippine Tinikling at CD-REC on November 21, 2009. The session was offered as part of the Fitness Challenge Warm-up to introduce parents and children to another way to get physical exercise and have a lot of fun doing it. With some practice, the activity can provide hours of fun with plenty of heart-healthy exercise. Ms. Picard used to teach the activity at Dartmouth High School and decided to introduce it to participants in the Fitness Challenge Warm-up as one of the special activities that have been provided. Click here to see the  video of the event. Click for pictures of the first Fitness Challenge, a parents' cooking class, a kids' cooking class, and a session by Dr. Mary Flynn. For more information about the Challenge, contact CD-REC at 508-69-0922. For more information about the Children in Balance project, contact Project Manager Marcia Picard at 508-324-2228.
 

(Top row) Children In Balance project director Marcia Picard instructs children on how to sand and decorate their rhythm sticks. (Top row, center) Isaiah and Ariana Parsons sand their sticks prior to decorating them. (Top row, right) Malak Issa and Kelly Drigo tap their sticks to music as Maya Drigo looks on. (Middle row, left) The group goes through a series of rhythmic exercises with their sticks. (Middle row, center) Marcia Picard demonstrates how to step in and out of the longer rhythm sticks before Stacie Ruth tries to time stepping in between them as Kelly moves them back and forth. (Bottom row, left) Annie Ruth assists her daughter, Stacie, through the sticks as Ariana moves them back and forth. (Bottom row, center) Noor Issa dances through the sticks as Hope Ruth follows. (Bottom row, right) Hope and her mother, Annie, talk to CD-REC program director Jamison Souza about what they learned.