Educator Resources

Home > Educator Resources > Events for Students, Teachers, and Families > Virtual Pajama Party

Virtual Pajama Party

We hosted a Virtual Pajama Party on Saturday, September 25, 2021. This online event for kids aged 8–12 and their families focused on Sylvia & Aki, an inspiring book based on a true story — and featured civil-rights activist and title character Sylvia Mendez, and acclaimed author Winifred Conkling!

Watch a recording of the pajama party and learn more about the program in the details below.

 

Overview

  • We focused on themes of fairness, friendship, civil rights, and persisting through adversity.
  • Participants read the book Sylvia & Aki in advance.
  • Sylvia Mendez and Winifred Conkling participated live during the pajama party.
  • Hands-on activities were provided in advance.

Pre-Program Hands-on Activities

These optional at-home activities were posted in the lead-up to our live program on September 25th. They make connections to the program themes, and include writing and art, historical documents, and visual sources. While the suggested age range for the pajama party was 8-12, younger siblings were invited to participate, and the activities support multi-age learning. Children were invited to share their works in advance, and these were featured during the program.

 

 

Activity 1: Friendship and Family

This activity invites children to create a museum exhibit based on a treasured item with a connection to their family or friends. Watch to learn more about the activity, and use the following links to view the historical sources shared in the video:

 

 

Activity 2: Persistence

This activity invites children to create a six-word story based on a historical source. Watch to learn more about the activity, and use the links below to see the historical sources.

 

 

Other Past Pajama Parties

March 2021

This online event focused on women's history in sports and the Olympics – and featured Olympic gold medalist and author Laurie Hernandez! 

Participants read I Got This: To Gold and Beyond. The book, written by Hernandez, is a memoir of her life in gymnastics, training for the Olympics, and post-Olympic experiences. It emphasizes the importance of trying new things, setting goals, hard work, and persistence.

 

Hands-on activities were provided in advance:

 

Activity 1: Women and Girls in Sports

Choose an art or writing activity. Watch the video on YouTube to learn about the activities, and use the following links to view the historical photographs and film mentioned in the video:

 

Activity 2: Women and the Olympics

Watch the video, and use these links to view the historical photographs and letter shared in the video:

 

Activity 3: Gymnastics

Watch the video, and use these links to view the historical photographs, film, and patent in the video:

 

October 2020

We hosted our first-ever Virtual Pajama Party on Saturday, October 17, 2020. We learned about Jackie Robinson, including his barrier-breaking career in baseball, but also his lifelong commitment to civil rights work through civic engagement and advocacy.

Participants read the historical fiction book The Hero Two Doors Down in advance. The book was written by children’s author Sharon Robinson, about a real episode in her father Jackie Robinson’s life. Ms. Robinson read a section of her book and answered audience questions.

 

Hands-on activities included:

 

Activity 1: Welcoming Strangers

Select art or writing activities surrounding ideas of welcoming others and feeling welcome or unwelcome. Watch the video on YouTube to learn about the activities, and use the following links to view the historical photographs shared in the video:

 

Activity 2: Heroes

Choose art or writing activities about heroes. Watch on YouTube, and access the historical photographs and comic book referenced in the video here:

 

Activity 3: Making Mistakes and Making Changes

Select art or writing activities about making mistakes and learning how to make better choices. Watch on YouTube. Use the following links to view the historical photographs and letter shared in the video:

 

Activity 4: Standing Up Against Discrimination

Activity 4 was shared during our live program with Ms. Sharon Robinson on October 17th, and featured the following National Archives documents:

Top