Activities
When a family arrives in Sacramento, they are often curious about their new home and want to explore their new city. Since they are generally limited with transportation, this can be a great opportunity for a volunteer to show a new family around Sacramento and the surrounding area. Not only are community activities a great way to help refugee families become familiar with their new community, it's a great way to build new friendships.
Sacramento also offers many activities that can be done for a relatively low cost. Many are great for families with small children. Think about visiting the Sacramento Zoo or Folsom Zoo, Sacramento Children's Museum, other local museums, a Sacramento Republic Soccer game, some
hiking/walking trails, or something on the list of 50 Things to do in Sacramento.
A lot of what families expect of the United States comes from movies, a trip to San Francisco will show them sights they might have seen in movies and show them the diversity of California. Likewise, a trip to Lake Tahoe will show the natural beauty of our state.
Other Activity Ideas:
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Take a walk or go to the park. Take a soccer ball, frisbee or other outdoor activity. Bring some food and have a picnic.
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Visit a library and check out a fun book or rent a movie.
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Watch a movie (Have a conversation with the family about what type of movies they like. Consider avoiding movies with violence or sexual content)
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Cook a meal with the family. Ask them to teach you a dish from their country and teach them one of your favorite foods. Cookies are always quick and fun.
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Play some board games. Be prepared to teach the rules and use it as a teaching opportunity for English.
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Go through a picture album. Ask if they have family pictures and bring yours to share.
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Visit an ethnic restaurant or market. Let the family introduce you to their favorite food and allow them to teach you.