Lake Elsinore’s Stories and Creations program brought families together for a bilingual story time and craft session at the Neighborhood Center on May 20.
This program is designed to help young children build literacy skills in both English and Spanish while offering a space for families to connect. It is open to children ages 18 months to 6 years old and is held on the first Monday of each month from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and on select Wednesdays. Program creator Mitzy Ramirez said it is the only free program the city offers year-round.
During the May 20 session, children read “Who Lives on the Farm?” or “Quien vive en la granja?” after first reviewing the alphabet and farm animal vocabulary in both English and Spanish. After story time, children moved on to the craft portion of the program, where they created paper plate farm animals using markers and construction paper. The session ended with a dance party and group games such as “the floor is lava.”
Ramirez said the idea for the program came from seeing a lack of bilingual programming in the community.
“I wanted something that was free,” Ramirez said. “Something we could offer the community that would benefit more people.”
She said the program started small, with only a handful of children attending the first sessions, but attendance has grown steadily through word of mouth and community feedback.
“The very first time we had four kids,” Ramirez said. “Now we added a second date because parents kept asking if we could do it multiple times a month.”
She said providing activities in both English and Spanish help reflect the community’s diversity,and exposes children to another language in a simple, accessible way.
“If they gain a word or if they learn one thing out of it, that’s great,” she said. “We just need more diversity. We need more out there.”
Ramirez said she hopes the program benefits parents and guardians as much as it benefits children.
“If you do activities like this, it’s relaxing for the parents as well,” she said. “They’re also getting out there and socializing. So it’s not just for the kids. It’s for the parents too.”
She added that community programs like Stories and Creations can provide a positive outlet for families.
“You never know what somebody can be going through,” she said. “If just this outing is beneficial for them, why not? If we can make a positive impact, why not?”
