Staff and children at a day care nursery in Chester dedicate a day to thinking about victims of the Japanese earthquake

Mar 17 2011 by Rachel Flint, Chester Chronicle

INFANTS will be wearing Japanese costumes, tasting oriental foods, and making traditional decorations to support the victims of the Japanese earthquake.

On Monday (March 21) staff and children at the Hopscotch Day Nursery, on Parkgate Road, Chester, will be dedicating a whole day to learning about the culture and thinking about the people effected by the earthquake and tsunami.

The children, who are all under five, will immerse themselves in the Japanese way-of-life, even trying out a menu of oriental dishes during their lunchbreak.

Staff are hoping that the day will raise awareness about the disaster, as well as some much needed donations, which will be placed in make-shift wishing wells outside the nursery doors.

Speaking about the culture day nursery manager Jayde Cole said: “We cannot do much, we have all seen the pictures on the news, the little boats with the children in them. And we asked what can we do to raise awareness?

“If we can raise some money at the same time and send it to one of the aid organisations that would be even better.”

The older children aged between three and four years old will also be learning about earthquakes to give them a greater understanding of natural disasters.

“The children are going to see what is happening on the news and over hear their parents talking about it, the more we can help them understand the better.”