Kidspace in the Community
Kidspace in the Community
“In every neighborhood, all across our country, there are good people insisting on a good start for the young and doing something about it.” – Fred Rogers
For Kidspace, providing a ‘good start’ for the children and families of our community means meeting families where they are socio-economically, culturally, and geographically. It’s one thing to provide abundant access to campus, but when we go off campus into the neighborhoods where our families live, work, and attend school, we achieve a deeper level of connection.
This year we have been building our community outreach program and heading out and about in Pasadena bringing playful hands-on activities for children and families to join our families in the places and moments that hold meaning for us all.
City of Pasadena’s Black History Month Parade and Festival
Kidspace was a proud sponsor of the City of Pasadena’s 42nd Black History Month Parade and Festival on February 17, the longest-running festival of its kind in Southern California. The parade is a community celebration featuring youth bands, dance teams, car clubs, and community groups cruising down Fair Oaks Avenue showcasing their talents as neighbors, family, and friends line up on the sidewalks to cheer them on.
Kidspace Operation Manager, LaQuan Hayes, has been attending the parade and festival since he was a child. “Although I was never one of the kids marching down Fair Oaks, I was one of the family members cheering on my cousin and little sister and their drill team, The Pasadena Cowgirls,” said Hayes. “After the Parade, we ran around the festival collecting free swag and playing all the games. I remember all the joy, music, and dancing.”
This year’s parade and festival theme was “Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Jackie Robinson,” a hometown hero for his accomplishments in sports and civil rights activism. The museum hosted a family art program at the festival designed to illustrate Robinson’s legacy of activism and action for civil rights. We invited families to pay tribute to his legacy with an interactive art project celebrating the power of community to create a better world.
“I am extremely proud of the museum for participating in this year’s Parade and festival,” said Hayes. “It is important that we continue to participate because this is our neighborhood, and we want to be of service to our community.”
In collaboration with Transformative Arts, Kidspace hosted L.A.-based artist April Banks to create a large-scale community artwork representing our commitment to continue Robinson’s activism for freedom and civil rights and inspired by the work of acclaimed artist Glenn Ligon. In his piece, Hands (1997), Ligon references 1995’s Million Man March at which hundreds of thousands of Black men came together as a visual, vocal representation of the Black family. Ligon’s work says more than “we are here,” it calls for action and accountability.
Honoring Robinson’s legacy and Ligon’s work, the community art piece invited participants to place their handprints on canvas to symbolize their commitment to freedom and civil rights.
Ronald McDonald House Walk for Kids
Supporting children with medical challenges and their families is a key priority for Kidspace. For years, the museum has partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides a home away from home for families who travel far for the medical care their child needs.
In addition to hosting special events for Ronald McDonald House families at the museum, Kidspace is proud to support the annual Walk for Kids hosted by Ronald McDonald House Pasadena in Brookside Park. This year’s celebration featured the ebullient Kidspace Bubble Pop-Up, a family space to rest, reboot, and create millions of iridescent bubbles together.
“The Walk for Kids brings together members of the community to raise critical funds to provide a home-away-from-home here in Pasadena for families seeking life-changing medical treatment for their child,” Mara Leong-Maguinez, Executive Director, Ronald McDonald House Pasadena.
The museum’s commitment to children with medical challenges is a natural extension of its whole-child philosophy, which leverages joyful experiences to integrate mind, body, and heart. Play provides critical benefits to children under medical care, including stress relief, emotional healing, and social connection. Through partnerships with Ronald McDonald House and Child Life specialists at children’s hospitals, Kidspace contributes to the wellbeing of families and children when they need it most.
“We have been thrilled to have Kidspace participate as a community partner for several years,” said Leong-Maguinez. “Their wonderful team created a fun and engaging space for all the children and families in attendance, fostering an environment of hope, enthusiasm, courage, and joy.”
City of Pasadena’s Family Fun Day
The bubbles were also a POP-ular attraction at the City of Pasadena’s Family Fun Day at La Pintoresca Park on May 25. The City’s 28th Annual Family Fun Day is a great way to kick off summer with a free family-friendly event for our Northwest Pasadena neighbors. Kids loved making gigantic bubbles and resting in the shade at this neighborhood favorite.
“Family Fun Day is important to our community because it connects neighbors with families and friends during Memorial Day weekend,” said Elizabeth Luna, Recreation Services Specialist for the City of Pasadena. “It’s an afternoon in the park where people of all ages, background, and nationalities come together year after year to play games, compete for prizes, enjoy live performances, music, food, skating expo, arts & crafts, and the opening of the splash pad for the summer season.”
The event also allows for direct access to important resources by agencies and nonprofits in the community. Luna said that the event would not be possible if weren’t for support from community partners.