Eli Whitney Museum

What if there is a corner of America that really is enchanted (full of delight)? Karen Rivera will introduce you to the joys of her homeland, Puerto Rico.

Construct instruments to recreate the rhythms of the island: the güiro that makes a ratchet sound, palitos that keep a sharp beat, the maracas that rattle, the pandereta, a tambourine. Make a coqui, a small frog that adds his big voice to the music of Puerto Rico.

Get to know the culture of the Taino, the people who inhabited Puerto Rico long before Columbus arrived. Create petroglyphs, symbols carved in stone that still mark the Taino voice in Puerto Rico. Construct a small Taino canoe. Learn Taino folk tales that children in Puerto Rico still learn.

Meet the character Juan Bobo, whose mischievous adventures fill songs and stories and teach children about duty, resourcefulness and respect.

The workshop will create a Street Market, a colorful miniature collection of the unique fruits and crafts and foods and music and animals that unite Puerto Rico's rich mixture of peoples.

On Friday afternoon, guide your parents through its wonders.