'Roald Dahl Festival' at Cedar Hill Fuses Reading and Summer Fun

Students at Cedar Hill School spent one of the last days of the school year out in the summer sun at the seventh annual "Roald Dahl Festival."

First started by Cedar Hill third-grade teacher Linda Nollkamper, the festival brings the four third-grade classes at the school together for themed activities based on author Roald Dahl's classic children's books.

Dahl is the author of familiar stories such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach and more. Students in the third-grade classes read many of the author's books throughout the year, and celebrate with games like The Twits batspin, The Enormous Crocodile bean bag toss (with stuffed alligators substituting for the bean bags), and "Steal the Chicken," a Fantastic Mr. Fox variation of the backyard game "Steal the Bacon."

"It's a great way to end the year because these are games they can do in their backyard but they never think of it," said Nollkamper, who is finishing her 18th year teaching at the school.

"Roald Dahl is a wonderful author for kids," she said. "His books great for reluctant readers, and the kids just love his sense of humor. You zip right through the books."

Nollkamper said that teaching about the author's life also proves to be a valuable lesson for her students. Dahl survived a crash landing as a pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II, recovering from shattered bones and temporary blindness. He later married and had five children, the eldest died at only seven years of age from measles, and after Dahl's son Theo was hit by a New York taxi when the boy was in a baby carriage, he helped develop a life-saving device called a WDT valve that was later used to save hundreds of children's lives, including Theo's.

"His whole life he never gave up," Nollkamper said. "It's great for kids to learn that."

"After the activity portion of the festival is complete, the children are escorted into the cafeteria for the Roald Dahl's Delicious Feast, with wild and crazy foods that are inspired by the books," Cedar Hill parent Debbie Moldovan said. Moldovan, co-author of a children's book of her own, A Glove of Their Own, has helped to organize the event for the past three years.

Moldovan said roughly 50 parents volunteer to help make the day a success.