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Review: Harvest Rain’s The Wizard of Oz playing at QPAC

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 If you have grown up dreaming of skipping down the Yellow Brick Road then HarvestRain’s production of The Wizard of Oz is sure to delight.

The scene is set with Aunt and Uncles farm and literally whirlwinds you into the Land of the Munchins (played by an adorable chorus line of kids). Unfortunately the strobe lighting (meant to simulate the tornado) went on a little longer than my eyes could handle and set off a migraine. I don’t recall seeing a “strobe lighting” warning but maybe there should have been due to people with medical issues.

The Scarecrow (played by Shaun Kohlman) is delightful to watch.

 Dana Musil plays Dorothy and emulates Judy Garland to a tee but unfortunately the stage is stolen by the Love-able Tin mans dance routines (Played by Dan Venz) and the Mighty Lion played by (Matty Johnston).

Matty brings laughter to the crowd with his comical lyrics and scared lion mannerisms that left us with giggles.

This production doesn’t have all the glitz and glam of fancy staging or props but there is no compromise in fantastic singers and overall production. Definetley a must see but I would suggest unless your child is into evil witches and ear piecing cackling screams (Played by Penny Farrow) then enjoy a night out on your own and leave the younger kids at home.

As always the QPAC staff deserve a mention for their wonderful service.

Music & lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg.

Adapted by John Kane from the MGM Motion Picture

QPAC Feb 9th-19th  – Online Ticket Sales tickets $49 – $67.10

(Image Source HarvestRain)

Craftgossip attended the show courtesy of HarvestRain.

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Hanukkah Unit Studies for Kids

Learning about Hanukkah is important for people of all faiths as a reminder that December isn’t just about Christmas and that their are many other important holidays that happen during this time. Hanukkah unit studies can give you ideas for incorporating the holiday into your holiday studies that happen in December, or to use at home for learning about people of different faiths.

Homeschool Superfreak has a lot of basic ideas for how to build a Hanukkah unit study, as well as FAQs about what Hanukkah is and why it is celebrated. This list is a good stargint point but doesn’t include all the details you’ll need. For example it says you can play the dreidel game but doesn’t explain how to do that or why it’s important. (If you need that information, this post from Mama Smiles is a good source.)

Teachers Pay Teachers has lots of great lesson plans and activities if you’re willing to pay a little bit to get some good content. Two I really like are this Hanukkah PowerPoint presentation from Shelia Melton, which provides a good overview of traditions, food and the history of Hanukkah; and a virtual field trip to Jerusalem from MagiCore, which includes lots of videos showing the city and activities like playing dreidel, drawing a menorah and making latkes. It’s a Google Drive folder and also includes writing activities and more for kids in second to fifth grade.

Kids Activities Blog has some simple printables with facts about Hanukkah and things kids can color in like a Star of David, sufganiyots (jelly doughnuts) and a menorah. These are great for learning the basics.

Homeschool Giveaways has a printable ebook about Hanukkah complete with questions kids can answer after they read. This would be a good one for older kids with good reading comprehension.

NurtureStore’s Hanukkah unit study includes a printable mini book, tons of crafts, as well as math and writing activities. I love the dominoes game that’s part of the unit.

And check out our previous posts for more Hanukkah crafts and learning activities!