A Christmas celebration with a difference

It was a Christmas party for seven-year-olds with a difference. For instead of the kids getting fed on sweets and drinks and playing around, they were instead required to participate in making blankets for sick children who will most likely spend Christmas confined to their beds at the Denver Children's hospital.

I was very impressed with the project and very happy to assist.

At this break-up year-end party, some mothers, one father and two grandmothers attended and the innovative teacher behind the project, brought along her four-month-old son and two-year-old daughter.

The morning session began with the children sitting in a circle, greeting each other individually then telling the class something they were grateful for.

I was so proud when my granddaughter expressed gratitude for her grandma Joan. That's me!

The teacher then played a You Tube video, explaining how fleece blankets are made.

The fleece materials the children were given afterward, were precut and brought by some parents and the teacher,

Then the kids got to work making knots all around the edges of the blankets to tie the plain fleece underneath to the beautifully patterned ones on top.

The project took about an hour by which time five blankets were completed by the 21 students in the class for presentation to the less fortunate children in the hospital.

This is a most worthwhile project not only because of the gifts being made for the sick kids but also, more importantly, because of the important lesson the children were being taught about caring for others less fortunate than themselves.

Kudos to this most conscientious teacher, a born leader.