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Jo Ellen Diehl Yeary | Generosity rooted in pride, remembrance, dedication to home

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Stories and Activities for Appalachian Ohio

We know that during this time our primary concern is protecting ourselves, our neighbors, and our communities. At the same time, for many of us, positive stories from the children of Appalachia offer a welcome relief, as do fun activities that bring us together.

Read on to enjoy some activities and stories we’ve gathered. And make sure to check back on this webpage regularly and like our Facebook page, as we continue to share stories, writing and drawing prompts, and a variety of other fun activities and games you can enjoy on your own, with your children, or with the other people in your household.


Inspiring Creativity

Through our I’m a Child of Appalachia campaign, we’ve developed creative writing and drawing prompts.

Writing and Drawing Prompts for the Children of Appalachia
The writing and drawing prompts below are designed to encourage children to use their creativity to reflect on what they can achieve and how the people and communities of Appalachian Ohio can help them get there.

Click to view the full packet of prompts.

If you would like to share your child’s creative answers with our audience, just scan or photograph the completed worksheets linked above. Then, post them on Facebook in a public post and tag the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, or send them to info@ffao.org.

To access the full packet of I’m a Child of Appalachia writing and drawing prompts, click here.

Prompts for Children of Appalachia of All Ages, and Older Adults

Make sure to stay tuned to the Foundation’s Facebook page and this webpage over the coming weeks, as we share additional writing and drawing prompts for people of all ages and older adults.

Activities

With the recent stay-at-home order and recommendations on physical distancing, we know it is a hard time for many across Appalachian Ohio, especially our neighbors who are most at-risk.

Below, find ideas for fun activities and games you can enjoy on your own, with your children, or with the other people in your household. And make sure to check back often, as we continue to share more ideas!

Book Recommendations

Here are a few books you might enjoy reading or sharing with younger family members, whether they’re living in your household or on the other end of a video call.

  • Bring the flavors of Appalachian Ohio into your kitchen with A Taste of the Hocking Hills, written by Matt Rapposelli and published by Ohio University Press. Using ingredients straight from the Appalachian Ohio’s forests and ponds, this book is sure to ignite both your taste-buds and your sense of place.
  • At FAO, we see every day the profound ways in which working with and for others can produce truly magnificent things. And in The Second Mountain, David Brooks makes the case that orienting ourselves toward community can even help to heal the social fabric of society.
  • Take your kids or grandkids along for a polar plunge into Athens, Ohio resident Tadgh Bentley’s Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups. This interactive and hilarious tale of a penguin who ate their chili a little too quickly is helping to instill a love of reading in the newest generation of learners.
  • The story of Grandma Gatewood — the first woman to hike the Appalachian trail and the first person to hike it two and then three times — was instrumental in preserving the trail for future generations, and it’s sure to inspire a passion for environmental stewardship in adults and children alike. Learn her story through Grandma Gatewood’s Walk by Ben Montgomery, and share it with your grandkids through When Grandma Gatewood Took a Hike, written by Michelle Houts and Erica Magnus and published by Ohio University Press.
  • Anyone with a love for the hills and trails of Appalachian Ohio will surely connect with The Nature Fix by Florence Williams, which explores the science of nature’s effects on health. Read it while getting your own ‘nature fix’ outdoors.