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Thanks to the hard work of our Social Activities Committee and members, LAAF-WI, Inc. is proud to have numerous social activities for the Wisconsin adoptive family community.
LAAF-WI, Inc. schedules activities large enough in nature to draw attendees from all over the state.
However, smaller events are planned in each of the regions, allowing for neighbors to gather in a more quaint setting.
If you are interested in attending any of these events or would like more information, please contact our Social Activities Committee.
Annual Events
Apple Holler: Join us each fall as we celebrate the season at Apple Holler, an apple-picking and pumpkin farm with lots of activities!
Ongoing Events
Book Club: Books written by Latin American authors or with subject matter related to Latin America or adoption are read and discussed by the membership. Spirited discussion is welcomed and encouraged!
General Events
Waiter’s Group gatherings (coffee houses): LAAF-WI, Inc. has a special subset of the group devoted to families in-process or waiting to begin their adoption journey from Latin America. With the anxieties and concerns of these families in mind, we schedule informal meetings whereby waiting parents can gather to share concerns and progress along the way! These meetings are generally at coffee shops or mall food courts.
Scrapbooking/Lifebook events: A lifebook is a factual written story of the period of an adoptee’s life between birth and adoption. It is a tool used by parents to share information about birth family, define and explain adoption concepts and let their child know that adoption is a permanent and loving way to form a family. One member family has significant experience with the creation of lifebooks and is available for instructional workshops to help other families create them for their children! These workshops are usually held two to three times per year.
Mom’s Night Out: Moms love getting together to relax and enjoy a meal together at local restaurants. The opportunity affords us time to talk and share without interruption! The fun isn’t reserved only for evenings…other events have included luncheons, a holiday cookie exchange, home party fundraisers for LAAF, catching a movie or comedy club act, wine tasting, candy making class, jewelry making, and even shopping.
Dad’s Night Out: Feel free to join the guys at the movies and afterwards for hot wings, drinks and great conversation! It is a great way to get to know each other. Do you have an idea for a Dad’s Night Out? We’d love to promote it to our group of dads.
Dairyfest gathering: Families in central Wisconsin gather to watch the Dairy Parade with lots of clowns, floats and treats for the kids. Afterward, they meet for lunch and play at the nearby park and zoo!
MSCR Art Cart: This is an opportunity to join the Milagros adoption group in Madison at the MSCR art cart. The gathering is often followed by swimming or park play.
Potluck dinner gatherings: A simple family gathering in your home with fellow adoptive families, Latin American inspired foods, and maybe even a piñata is a nice way to further bonds of friendship.
Farmer’s Market: Meeting at a local farmer’s market on a warm summer Saturday morning is another good way to get together. Markets offer fresh food, flowers, art and craft items, and live music.
Brewer’s Game: Join us as we root for the home team! We can arrange for a tailgate party and plan a date for baseball fans to enjoy the company of other adoptive families.
Playgroups
Parks: Any time a group of moms and kids want to gather for some fun in the sun, a local park is close by and the perfect place to meet! Feel free to search for a group that already regularly meets, or if you have a local park with a great playground, feel free to coordinate an event and post the details!
Pottery painting: The kids love the pottery painting parties at local ceramic stores. They select an item to paint upon arrival. Many handprint gifts have been made by our little hands!
Beach, pool and water park outings: Do you own a pool or live near a public beach or water park? Consider hosting an event!
Sports Park outings: Miniature golf + batting cages + go-karts = a whole lot of fun for the whole family! Plan an outing…it is sure to be a hit.
Sledding parties: During the snowy winter months families have a blast sledding together. Do you have a favorite snow hill in your neighborhood? Consider hosting such an event with families in your region.
Zoo outing: Beginning with LAAF’s inception, there has always been regularly scheduled zoo outings. Kids love the zoo, and parents do too!
Children’s museums and play centers: Gathering together to enjoy local children’s museums is always fun. There is something for everyone. When the weather is cold, the kids love playing at local indoor playgrounds. Join us and spend a couple fun-filled hours with your friends jumping and climbing in an inflatable obstacle course or sliding down a giant inflatable slide or play together on a Rainbow play system! Older kids can even try indoor paintball, arcades, roller skating and bowling.
Halloween costume party: Bring your ghosts and goblins to enjoy making a craft, play games, and trick or treat. Special emphasis is put on celebrating the Latin American holiday Dia de Los Muertos: The Day of the Dead.
Easter egg hunt: For families wishing to have a little Easter bunny fun, we have celebrated Easter by decorating Easter bags and going on an Easter egg hunt.
Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Milwaukee Domes): Experience a desert oasis, a tropical jungle, and special floral gardens…all in one day! The Floral Show Dome always has a special feature. The kids love roaming from dome to dome and standing on the little bridge near the waterfall in the tropical dome.
Cultural Events
Salsa Sundays: Salsa Sundays (June-August) at Fusion in Milwaukee offer live Latin Music featuring a variety of bands.
DVD viewings: Member families have purchased or rented copies of documentaries or movies with a Latin American or adoption-related theme and then coordinated times when these can be shown in a group environment so that discussion can follow. How are topics dear to our hearts portrayed in the media? Come find out!
La Semana gathering: La Semana is a Latin American culture camp held in southeastern Minnesota but is often well-attended by Wisconsin families. Each year, there is a particular focus on a different Latin American country.
MayaWorks sale: By hosting a MayaWorks sale, we were able to take time to catch up with some friends from LAAF-WI while supporting a great cause! Our group was able to purchase fair trade toys, crafts, jewelry, and textiles made by women in Guatemala. MayaWorks returns 65 cents of every dollar to the artisans and 10 cents of every dollar to the technical Assistance, scholarships and grants which benefit the artisans, their families and their villages. Maya Works believes that community development happens through the economic development of women who otherwise have limited ways to participate or contribute to the economic stability of their families. Giving women an opportunity to earn an income from their skills gives them self-confidence and hope for themselves, their children, their family and their village.
Senor Tomas Restaurant event: The Alarcon Family, owners of restaurants Senor Tomas (Hartland), Taco Amigo (Waukesha) and Antigua Real (Mukwonago), were kind enough to host an authentic Guatemalan meal for our families to experience. Fifty families attended the delicious event at Senor Tomas.
Café El Sol fish fry events: Located inside the United Community Center (UCC), Café El Sol specializes in Puerto Rican and Mexican food. Our families have enjoyed their ongoing Friday night fish fry and Latin and Caribbean live musical entertainment!
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