NATIONAL MUSEUM SETS FAMILY PROGRAMS FOR EARLY JUNE

The Japanese American National Museum continues its series of public programs geared for families with another "Kidding Around the Kitchen" workshop on Saturday, June 6, followed by the popular Target Free Family Saturday, "Try This On For Size", on Saturday, June 13, at the National Museum in Little Tokyo. This event is free and open to the public.

On June 6, "Kidding Around the Kitchen" will present its "Beat the June Gloom" program with a family cooking class led by Lisa Elaina Fontanesi. Among the dishes to be created are salads, sandwiches and simple dessert recipes. Fees for this workshop are $25 for National Museum members (for one child and one adult) and $35 for non-members. The fees include supplies. To reserve spots in the workshops, call the Japanese American National Museum at (213) 625-0414, ext. 2222.

Kidding Around the Kitchen aims to help families learn how to make and eat food together without a major time commitment. It also provides tips on how to shop smarter and how to create healthier meals that are fun for the entire family. One of the goals of Kidding Around the Kitchen is to encourage families to spend more time together while empowering children to play a role in their own meals.

Kidding Around the Kitchen has developed a system for children to learn safely about cooking. Those participants between 5 and 8 years of age are considered Chefs in Training and require the support of an adult helper. Those 9 to 12 years old are considered Junior Chefs and may need the aid of an adult helper. Those 13 to 15 years old are potentially Master Chefs, who mostly need adult helpers to consume their creations. For more information on Kidding Around the Kitchen, go to www.kiddingaroundthekitchen.com.

On the following Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the popular monthly Target Free Family Day series continues with "Try This On For Size" featuring family fun that explores clothing and costumes within the Asian American community. Among the activities available throughout the day: participants can make paper dolls of themselves and then design clothes for the dolls; the creation of stylish hats; and Ruthie’s Origami Corner will have materials to make an origami shirt, which can be turned into a Father’s Day card.

From 1 to 4 p.m., for the first 60 children, Loud Wild and Proud will airbrush a shirt to suit each participant. At 2 p.m., author Ai-Ling Louie will read and sign her book Vera Wang Queen of Fashion. It tells the story of how Vera Wang became one of the world’s top fashion designers. At 3 p.m., there will be a special reading of Suki’s Kimono written by Chieri Uegaki. Suki’s favorite possession is a blue cotton kimono given to her by her grandmother and she can’t wait to share her experiences from the summer, dancing in the kimono at an obon festival. The reading is followed by the announcement of the special kimono drawing winners. Suki’s Kimono is available at the Museum store: http://janmstore.com/151105.html.

Since 2000 Loud Wild and Proud has been one of the best entertainment companies in California. The company specializes in airbrush items such as T-shirts and hats to body painting on male and female models. It also applies temporary tattoos on kids and adults. Their events span children’s parties, high school and college events and conventions. The company is based out of Los Angeles and we travel all over the US providing entertainment for all those who want to be entertained. For more information about Loud, Proud and Wild, go to: www.loudwildandproud.com.

Ai-Ling Louie is a children’s author. Her book, Yeh-Shen; a Cinderella Story from China, is considered a children’s classic and was made into a television show by CBS-TV. Her new book is Vera Wang, Queen of Fashion. She received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, and her Masters Degrees are from Wheelock College and Rutgers University. She currently lives in New Jersey, where she is a children’s librarian.

Generously sponsored by Target, these special Saturdays are organized each month to provide fun activities for families by with unique ways to learn, play, and grow together. The Target Free Family Saturday events are held on the second Saturday of each month.

The Japanese American National Museum is the only national nonprofit museum dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the Japanese American experience as an integral part of U.S. history. Founded in 1985, it has welcomed new audiences through its exhibitions, public programs and special events. For more information, call the Japanese American National Museum at (213) 625-0414 or go to www.janm.org.