I hope there are some readers in the Philly area because this new exhibit about Viet Nam looks very interesting! The Please Touch Museum is opening a new exhibit titled “Dragons and Fairies: Exploring Viet Nam Through Folktales” on June 23rd. It’s a traveling exhibit that will be at the museum until September 9th.

There are a few parts of the exhibit that could possibly cause your adopted child to feel uncomfortable (building a family alter and making a family tree), but with some preparation ahead of time, it could be a wonderful way to learn more about Viet Nam. Also, one of the folktales being presented deals with an orphan who is tested by the king who adopted him. I doubt that it will portray adoption in any kind of negative light, and I don’t believe in sheltering kids from adoption themed media, but I do think it opens the door to have a conversation with them about what they saw/read…but that’s for another post ;)

The exhibit will include:

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  Masks and traditional clothing that your child can try on.
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  Learning about the Zodiac and the year you were born.
  


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  The chance to ride on a scooter and work on a houseboat.
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  Activities such as painting to Vietnamese music and making a family tree to celebrate ancestry. If your child is old enough to partake in the family tree exercise, I've included links to some great articles about how to handle family trees with your adopted child below.
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  A playhouse performance of “From the Sea to the Sky” that tells Vietnamese folktales and is influenced by the art of traditional Vietnamese water puppetry.
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  Separate, partially enclosed theatres that consist of multi media presentations of different Vietnamese folktales.

About the Museum:
The Please Touch Museum is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that is geared towards kids to age seven and their families. It is made up of different vignette type sets designed specifically for kids to play on and learn through. There is even a Barnyard Babies exhibit that is geared specifically towards kids under the age of three. The museum’s goal is to “encourage learning through play,” and they have been extremely successful in setting up an environment to foster their mission.

Family Tree Articles:
Making a Family Tree for the Adoptee
Rethinking the Family Tree

photo credit