NIH Record - National Institutes of Health

Children’s Inn Holds Outdoor Carnival

Image
Cyntana Thomas marvels at bubbles as they float through the air.
Cyntana Thomas, 2, daughter of inn employee Dennis Thomas, marvels at bubbles as they float through the air.

Photo:  P. Jennifer Forester

Image
Emma Sotelo of Texas shows off her butterfly face paint.
6-year-old Emma Sotelo of Texas shows off her butterfly face paint.

Photo:  P. Jennifer Forester

Image
Dr. Anthony Fauci poses with Zilly, the Children's Inn therapy dog.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID, poses with Zilly, the Children's Inn therapy dog.

Photo:  P. Jennifer Forester

Image
Muna Albusaidi, 8, beams as she shows off the caricature of her made at the inn's summer carnival.
Muna Albusaidi, 8, beams as she shows off the caricature of her made at the inn's summer carnival.

Photo:  Sonja Luecke

The Children’s Inn at NIH recently held an old-fashioned outdoor carnival to bring joy to children and families staying at the inn. Board members, trustees and inn staff members and their families also were invited to join in the fun.

Carnival games set up in the inn’s parking lot included a duck pond, disc drop, knocking over cans, bean bag toss, bowling, a bubble machine and more. Attendees also fearlessly volunteered for the pie attack—inviting children and teens to gently smash cream pies into their faces.

Everyone had a chance to win prizes, enjoy barbecue and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. A caricature artist and face-painting rounded out the fun.

The inn’s Teen Ambassadors—high school students selected to participate in a volunteer program that emulates the activities of a board of directors—ran the carnival game stations and helped children with physical or other health challenges participate in the activities.

The NIH Record

The NIH Record, founded in 1949, is the biweekly newsletter for employees of the National Institutes of Health.

Published 25 times each year, it comes out on payday Fridays.

Editor: Dana Talesnik
Dana.Talesnik@nih.gov

Associate Editor: Patrick Smith
pat.smith@nih.gov

Assistant Editor: Eric Bock
Eric.Bock@nih.gov

Staff Writer: Amber Snyder
Amber.Snyder@nih.gov