ROCKINGHAM — It’s all about community helpers at Discovery Place Kids for the month of November, where kids are able to explore and learn about several careers and how they’re important to the community.

“It gets kids interested in jobs around the community,” said Manager Jessica Tullar. “It teaches them who a community helper is and also helps them recognize one if they didn’t know.”

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, children are able to participate in “The People in Your Neighborhood” program where they identify community helpers on bingo cards and discuss the kind of work they do.

Three-year-old Catlian Cox identified several jobs — including the mayor of Rockingham, a teacher, a mailman and a farmer. She was a tad shy, but her grandma Kathy Cox said she’s a big helper around the community.

“She helps her grandma in Swansboro pick up trash on the beach,” said Cox. “If she sees trash, she’ll go pick it up.”

Tullar said in addition to helping kids learn who a communuity helper is, the staff also learn a lot about what the kids do in the community, using Catlian as an example.

“This program is neat because those are things we find out from the kids,” she said. “We find out what they do and they find out what adults do.”

“It’s interesting to see what the children know,” added Perkins. “And we’re also able to gear it to the audience.”

Tullar also agreed that the program’s age flexibility was something she enjoyed. When there are older kids in the group, the program is more discussion based, where they ask questions about different jobs and have children explain what they know and/or who they know. For younger audiences, they’re able to make it interactive like Bingo.

After filling up her row on her Bingo card, Catlian was awarded with a resounding cheer and two stickers, one for herself and one for her grandma.

“It was sweet,” said Cox.

In addition to the “People in Your Neighborhood” program on Tuesdays and Thursdays, there’s the “What’s your Emergency” program on Wednesdays and Fridays. For the program, children learn about jobs including police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, etc.

On Saturday, Tullar said they will be switching over to their holiday themed programming which will include building Christmas trees out of cups, writing letters to Santa Claus and a gingerbread workshop.

Creative play director Susan Perkins reads out a description of a job card and asks 3-year-old Catlian Cox to identify it on her Bingo card.
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_dpk_color.jpgCreative play director Susan Perkins reads out a description of a job card and asks 3-year-old Catlian Cox to identify it on her Bingo card. Jasmine Hager | Daily Journal

Three-year-old Catlian Cox points out a farmer on her Bingo card. Creative play director Susan Perkins read out a description of a job and asked Cox if she could find the job she was describing.
https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/web1_dpk2_color.jpgThree-year-old Catlian Cox points out a farmer on her Bingo card. Creative play director Susan Perkins read out a description of a job and asked Cox if she could find the job she was describing. Jasmine Hager | Daily Journal

By Jasmine Hager

Staff Writer

Reach Jasmine Hager at 910-817-2675 or [email protected].