Your Child Will Learn Kindness at Noah's Ark at the Skirball

by by Jill Weinlein

In the movie, "Evan Almighty", God, played by Morgan Freeman, tells Evan (Steve Carell) that ARK stands for Acts of Random Kindness. That message is reinforced at the Skirball Cultural Center's innovative new exhibit, Noah's Ark! During the S.T.A.R. (Storms, Arks, Rainbows) tour in the Noah's Ark Galleries, guests learn from storytellers: "there's a rainbow in all of us. Even a smile to a stranger can make the world a better place." If the animals, two-by-two, survived and got along, why can't we all try to be friendly among families, generations and cultures? Children will enjoy the hands-on opportunities to make thunder, rain and wind in the pre-flood zone. Storytellers lead guests to board the gigantic, wooden ark and observe nearly 400 life-sized, one-of-a-kind, animal pairs made from recycled materials. Children are selected to clean up animal scat and work together to keep everyone safe. In the post-flood zone, guests gather to observe a rainbow of hope and receive an inspirational message to take out into the world. During the weekends, additional activities and musical entertainment are featured in the adjacent amphitheater. This is an ideal place to practice acts of random kindness with a smile. The Skirball is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in Los Angeles. Hours are Tuesday – Friday, 12:00pm – 5 pm, Saturday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm. Admission is $10 General, $7 Seniors and Students, $5 Children 2-12. It's free to Skirball members and children under two. Visit www.skirball.org for additional event and ticket information.

Jill practices random acts of kindness daily and encourages others to do the same. She writes about Angels Among Us, travel, and family issues.