Kindergarten students at L'Ecole King George Public School have put their creative talents to use for a great cause.
The 26 students in Karla Riddle's kindergarten class have designed and made superhero capes that will be sent to children battling cancer and their siblings.
Originally the King George students made paper capes, but Riddle and teaching partner Nicole Shortreed, along with the help of sewing-savvy parent Leslie Porter, came up with a plan to make real capes.
Students helped cut the fabric, learned as Porter sewed the fabric, then helped iron on the colourful felt transfers and designs that were purchased with the help of family donations.
The children got to make the choices, which might explain the colourful mix of flowers, hearts, lightning bolts and Batman symbols.
Not only do the students have fun making the capes, they are learning how to help others.
"We talked to them about how the capes are for children who are sick and had to stay in hospital for long periods of time and asked them 'how would you feel if you were in hospital for a long time? What do you think would cheer them up?'" Riddle said in how the purpose of the capes is explained to the four and five year olds.
"They view this as something they can use to play with in the hospital. Dress up. And that it will make them feel better," she said.
"It's very important that the children learn empathy and that they can help someone that they don't even know," Riddle said.
The Kick-It-Capes initiative is part of the Happy Soul Project, a blog run by Kingston mom and blogger Tara MaCallan. She started it after learning her best friend’s little boy had cancer. She asked followers of her Happy Soul Project to donate capes, materials or money to make capes.
"What started out as a few kids turned into hundreds - We have now given out more than 400-plus Kick-It-Capes around the world," MaCallan wrote on her blog.
After the project was completed the students' thoughts on the project were posted on the wall where the capes are hanging before being shipped off.
"I'm having fun. I'm sewing a cape for people in hospital," wrote Wil.
"The kids will like them because they're cool," wrote Mohammad.
"My favourite part is helping kids who are sick," wrote Solomon.
Riddle said she hopes to keep doing the project in the future and has heard from many other kindergarten teachers who want to start the same thing in their class.
"They really, really enjoyed it and I love how different all the capes look."
