It’s family night at Willimantic RfG, and we’re “in the rainforest.” The session opens with staff sharing the evening’s plan and writing facts about the rainforest on one of the big easel sheets adorning the room.

At 5:30, children break into two groups for reading and literacy-based games.
At 6:15 students and their families descend to the lower-level community room and enjoy a family-style dinner with rainforest sounds playing in the background. Each table seats 2 or 3 families. Staff and kids serve the meal while families discuss the evening’s activities and what they’ve learned about the rainforest.

Following dinner, the children and their families split into two groups. One group plays sight-word Bingo. When a child gets a word, they have to make a sentence with it before placing their marker. Everyone wins a book, and the bingo winner gets to select two books. When they finish, they switch places with the other group, and go upstairs to the community room.

This space has been transformed into a jungle escape room, with multiple stations. Teen volunteers inform the children about their mission: to find clues that will help the group escape the rain forest within twenty minutes. Each clue leads to a key and lock box with a puzzle piece. Each clue requires reading, observation and group problem solving.

The children move through the room reading clues, figuring out where to go next, and collecting puzzle pieces. Parents observe and cheer them on.

The clues are pretty tricky (e.g., one clue instructs them to locate rainforest creatures that come in multiple colors (i.e., butterflies) then count how many red, yellow, pink and blue creatures they find. The answers provide the code that opens the next lockbox.

With minutes to spare, the children figure out their final clue, put all the puzzle pieces together, and discover a boat that will help them “escape” the jungle.

Exhilarated, each family goes home with prizes, a piece of celebratory cake, and a lot to talk about.

A window into READy for the Grade 2023
• Willimantic •

It’s family night at Willimantic RfG, and we’re “in the rainforest.” The session opens with staff sharing the evening’s plan and writing facts about the rainforest on one of the big easel sheets adorning the room.

At 5:30, children break into two groups for reading and literacy-based games.
At 6:15 students and their families descend to the lower-level community room and enjoy a family-style dinner with rainforest sounds playing in the background. Each table seats 2 or 3 families. Staff and kids serve the meal while families discuss the evening’s activities and what they’ve learned about the rainforest.

Following dinner, the children and their families split into two groups. One group plays sight-word Bingo. When a child gets a word, they have to make a sentence with it before placing their marker. Everyone wins a book, and the bingo winner gets to select two books. When they finish, they switch places with the other group, and go upstairs to the community room.

This space has been transformed into a jungle escape room, with multiple stations. Teen volunteers inform the children about their mission: to find clues that will help the group escape the rain forest within twenty minutes. Each clue leads to a key and lock box with a puzzle piece. Each clue requires reading, observation and group problem solving.

The children move through the room reading clues, figuring out where to go next, and collecting puzzle pieces. Parents observe and cheer them on.

The clues are pretty tricky (e.g., one clue instructs them to locate rainforest creatures that come in multiple colors (i.e., butterflies) then count how many red, yellow, pink and blue creatures they find. The answers provide the code that opens the next lockbox.

With minutes to spare, the children figure out their final clue, put all the puzzle pieces together, and discover a boat that will help them “escape” the jungle.

Exhilarated, each family goes home with prizes, a piece of celebratory cake, and a lot to talk about.