Tag: children

Kids’ NewsDay benefits Rady Children’s Hospital!

Selling special edition Union-Tribune newspapers during Kids' NewsDay!
Selling very special edition Union-Tribune newspapers during Kids’ NewsDay!

Smiling volunteers could be seen throughout San Diego this morning selling special edition newspapers! Today was the 25th anniversary of Kids’ NewsDay, a much-anticipated yearly event whose purpose is to benefit Rady Children’s Hospital.

Over the years, thousands of children and families have been helped by the money raised by generous people who purchase this inspiring edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Since the first Kids’ NewsDay in 1990, about 30,000 volunteers have sold over a million papers, raising nearly 3 million dollars! That’s amazing! The featured section of the newspaper is filled with stories of kids overcoming extremely difficult situations, many with rare or life-threatening diseases. The stories are filled with optimism, and the most inspiring stories are written by children themselves!

If you would like to make a donation to Rady Children’s Hospital, please click this link!

Kid's NewsDay helps raise funds for Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.
Kid’s NewsDay helps raise funds for Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.

…

To enjoy future posts, you can “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook. or follow me on Twitter.

Coronado Public Library’s amazing Oz exhibit!

L. Frank Baum authored many fantastic children's books.
L. Frank Baum wrote many fantastic, very popular children’s books.

The Coronado Public Library is featuring a world-class exhibit of Oz art and artifacts this month! Two huge glass cases full of books and collectibles and a large wall display of original graphic art are alive with the beloved characters that populate author L. Frank Baum’s fantasy land of Oz. The artwork, toys, figures and other cool stuff have been assembled from several important Oz collections, and made available to the viewing public during Oz Con International.

I’d like to share a few photos that I took!

Eisner Award-winning Eric Shanower's graphic novels.
Eisner Award-winning Eric Shanower’s graphic novels.
Oz collectibles and artifacts in many languages on display.
Oz collectibles and artifacts in many languages on display.
First edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz used by a Dorothy actress.
First edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz used by a Dorothy actress.
Oz books and cool stuff in an exhibit at the Coronado Public Library.
Oz books and cool stuff in an exhibit at the Coronado Public Library.
Colorful panels of Oz art catch the eye of library visitors.
Colorful panels of Oz art catch the eye of library visitors.
Troll Queen original comic art from Shanower's The Forgotten Forest of Oz.
Troll Queen original comic art from Shanower’s The Forgotten Forest of Oz.
More artwork based on the fairy tale creations of L. Frank Baum.
More artwork based on the fairy tale creations of L. Frank Baum.
Scarecrow and Tin Woodman among many characters in the collection.
Scarecrow and Tin Woodman among many characters in the collection.
This Wicked Witch is cooking up trouble!
This Wicked Witch is cooking up trouble!

…

To enjoy future posts, you can “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter.

The fun, whimsical Sixth Avenue playground.

Imaginative children's playground in Balboa Park.
Imaginative children’s playground in Balboa Park.

Whenever I walk past the Sixth Avenue playground, located among pine trees in the northwest corner of Balboa Park, I wish I were a child again. To romp, climb and swing through this crazy colorful jumble would be a ton of fun!

The fun, whimsical Sixth Avenue playground.
The fun, whimsical Sixth Avenue playground.
Morning view of what is probably a fairly ordinary playground, but I still like it!
Morning view of what is probably just an ordinary playground, but I still like it!

Small bubble bath child: a bronze sculpture.

Small bubble bath child bronze sculpture.
Small bubble bath child bronze sculpture.

This bronze sculpture can be found near the Shelter Island public pier, on the other side of the children’s playground.  It’s called Bubble Bath, by artist Dan Hill.  The tiny work of art is easy to miss while walking along the bay.  According to the Port of San Diego website, the sculpture was erected as a memorial to a toddler.

Sculpture of toddler on rock near Shelter Island playground.
Sculpture of toddler on rock near Shelter Island playground.

Kid musician street performers by USS Midway.

kid musician street performers by midway

Just walking along yesterday, I had to pause for a few moments to enjoy these kids playing string instruments by the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum for the passing Labor Day crowd. San Diego’s Embarcadero usually has a number of fun street performers, especially down by Seaport Village, but they were out in full force for the holiday weekend!

These three kids are talented musicians!

UPDATE!!!

Walking past Seaport Village on a fine Sunday afternoon in March, I happened to see this amazing musical family again! And I learned their official name: the De la Motte Strings! Here’s their Facebook page!

De la Motte family playing string music.
De la Motte family playing string music.
De la Motte Strings performs by Seaport Village.
De la Motte Strings performs by Seaport Village.

ANOTHER SIGHTING!

The musical family plays one Saturday at the Little Italy farmers market.
The musical family plays one Saturday at the Little Italy farmers market.

AGAIN!

I spotted this growing musical group in Balboa Park in late 2018!

De la Motte Strings musicians perform in Balboa Park.
De la Motte Strings musicians perform in Balboa Park.
Youthful musicians of the De la Motte Strings add life to San Diego.
Youthful musicians of the De la Motte Strings add life to San Diego.

 

San Diego kids paint beautiful tile benches.

child art tiles on bench 02

Here’s the right side of a tile bench painted by San Diego school kids. Check out my previous post for the left side and a brief explanation.

I love to sit on these fun tile benches near the Maritime Museum of San Diego and gaze out at the water. I have a weakness for this sort of inexcusable, lazy inactivity. Oh, well. Loafing wide-eyed on a sunshiny day is my personal definition of exciting urban living!

One of many benches featuring tiles painted by children.
One of twelve benches featuring tiles painted by school children.

Here are more photos of the colorful benches along this stretch of the Embarcadero…

Celebrating the Big Bay, June 2004. Funded by The Port of San Diego.
Celebrating the Big Bay, June 2004. Funded by The Port of San Diego.
Lots of sun, beach and happiness.
Lots of sun, beach and happiness.
Kid artists contributed to many tile benches along San Diego's waterfront.
Kid artists contributed to tile benches along San Diego’s waterfront.
Many students chose to paint sailboats out on the Pacific Ocean.
Many young students chose to paint sailboats out on the Pacific Ocean.
One of many tiles, painted by one of many hands.
One of many tiles, painted by one of many hands.
Some young artist made a silly fishy face that I really like!
Some young artist made a silly fishy face that I really like!
That big green fish is longer than that sailboat!
That big green fish is longer than that sailboat!
Globs of color add a bit of variety to many fun images.
Globs of color add a bit of variety to many fun images.
Cool artwork produced by a young local student.
Cool artwork produced by a young local student.
Two happy figures seem to jump above flowers.
Two happy figures seem to jump above flowers.
Unique face of warm sun is appropriate in beautiful San Diego.
Unique face of warm sun is appropriate in beautiful San Diego.

Art tiles painted by children decorate San Diego.

child art tiles on bench 01

Along the Embarcadero near the Maritime Museum of San Diego you’ll discover a great walkway at the edge of the bay.

One can look straight down at gentle water lapping wood pilings, see small fish darting below like silver points of light, watch least terns wheeling in the sky and diving, see black cormorants hunting underwater like feathered submarines…and gracefully soaring pelicans, and sailboats racing, and a blue sky, and huge ships coming in carrying cars from Asia, and airplanes landing at Lindbergh Field, and a glittering downtown skyline nearby, and the distant lighthouse on Point Loma…

You get the idea. It’s an extremely interesting stroll at any time of the year!

Along the walkway, twelve colorfully tiled benches await those who’d like to sit. The tiles were painted by many local K-6 student artists in 2004, Celebrating the Big Bay, in partnership with the Port of San Diego and the San Diego Children’s Museum.

The benches contain pictures of the ocean, fish, fantastic sea creatures, gulls, whales, ships, mermaids, palm trees, and happy, smiling stick figure people, as envisioned by artistic children with a paint brush.

The above photograph shows the left end of one bench.

Below, someone fishes nearby…

Fishing on the Embarcadero.
Fishing on San Diego’s Embarcadero.
A painted tile in a bench on San Diego's Embarcadero.
A painted tile in a bench on San Diego’s Embarcadero.
A red fish just swimming along in blue bubbles.
A red fish just swimming along in blue bubbles.
A tropical fish with long spotted green fins.
A tropical fish with long spotted green fins.
A very nicely rendered seahorse and colorful flowers.
A very nicely rendered seahorse and colorful flowers.
Beautiful work of art created by a local child.
Beautiful work of art created by a local child.
Creativity is splashed all over these tile benches.
Creativity is splashed all over these tile benches.
Eye-catching abstract design painted by youth.
Eye-catching abstract design painted by youth.
Fantastic tile artwork produced with many colorful painted dots.
Fantastic tile artwork produced with many colorful painted dots.
Here's a green mermaid jumping rope atop the blue ocean!
Here’s a green mermaid jumping rope atop the blue ocean!