Twirling Arcade Activity Choices

 Dance, Juggle and  Flow Parties  2.0 hours

Granny Sparkle (Sue), with assistance by one or more  Trenton Circus Road Squad teens will create an atmosphere that brings people of many ages and abilities  together to move and connect at events with music (or, we will provide the music). 

Kid in a Bubble   1.0 hour

Get a photo or mini movie of  being a kid (big or small) inside of a bubble. This activity needs to be done indoors.  We have protective padding that will keep it mess free. 

Hoop & Juggling Performance with a  Bubble Backdrop*  1  hours

Granny Sparkle (Sue), with assistance by one or more  Trenton Circus Road Squad members,   who will perform indoors,  in front of a window,   with Granny Sparkle (and optional performing GrandBeagle) will be outside the window creating a bubble backdrop and some hops through hoops (or indoors to help gather people to watch the performance and bubble show  while doing some tricks along the way).

*Intergenerational version will will be dog free & include children helping Granny make bubbles as an interactive service activity.

Bunnies & Bubbles  1.5 hours

Join  Quinn, with her  bunnies (leash & litter-trained),  for  cuddles,  cuteness and a possible hop through a tiny hula hoop.  Nearby, Granny Sparkle (Sue)  will offer opportunities for children to make their own bubbles. 

Please contact Sue at 609-577-7053 or email twirlingarcade@gmail.com for pricing and availability if you are interested in offering any of these programs at your care center, school, library or event venue

Merry Making Mobile

A uniquely fun and interactive collection of activities transported in a Merry Making Mobile (wagon) that brings joy and  naturally inspires connection and wellness through movement at  events where  participants have space to  twirl, toss, juggle, and flow with a variety of props along with the sound of lively music.  Activities vary, but can include  hula hoops (adult and child sized), flower sticks,  juggling scarves, dancing  ribbons, bubbles,  music shakers and paper kites.  With assistance  from Abby Bireta, a hula hoop and juggling coach  from The Trenton Circus Squad,  Granny Sparkle will help you get started with whatever it is that you choose to try and guide you to resources  to learn more. 

The Twirling Arcade environment joyfully energizes focus in a way that encourages full involvement while offering opportunities for connection without the need for words,  even though that often happens when people are having fun together.  The activities are challenging, but achievable for everyone. Gathered wherever there is space for movement, at festivals, parties and other events; we learn to cooperate with the principle of rotational force and  'ease into' the successful twirl,  perfect bubble, etc.   We also learn to respect shared space and props so that everyone gets a turn and props are used  in a certain area. 

The Twirling Arcade began in 2012 after our super friendly beagle, Louie, learned to jump through the hula hoops we started  learning to use and make that year.  We wanted to bring him and our props to Art All Night, Trenton, and  Louie was getting popular  at a nursing home where  he led a group of local musicians through the halls while doing hoop tricks for friends we visited there.   Before he passed a therapy dog test in 2013, we got liability insurance through the World Clown Association that covered his trick performances and play with our props.  Louie retired in 2017, but we have renewed the WCA Insurance policy  almost every year since 2012 and we now have Cluxton, a grand beagle who loves jumping through hoops and smiling.  He prefers adults over children, so he  will help round people up for bubble and hula hoop shows in front of the big windows of care centers. 

Sue Bertomeu Albert (aka Granny Sparkle) has presented choice-based learning and therapeutic play environments at  school, library and community events since she began The Learning Arcade more than 30 years ago. She  devoted over 35 years to a job as a Bibliographic Specialist at Princeton University Library and used the library as a resource for a 'life long learning' project that tested a theory of behavior transformation and connection through certain types of play and movement.   Here is a slide show that explains the benefits of this form of play,  also known as flow play.  The first slide references a program that that will be  offered to a college student audience.  

Contact Sue by phone 609-577-7053 or email twirlingarcade@gmail.com

Debbie Bertomeu (aka Aunt Debbie) is retired now, but she is the talented artist and toymaker who has benefitted physically and psychologically by learning, demonstrating  and crafting most of the props offered by The Twirling Arcade over the years. Debbie has been Sue's biggest inspiration to experiment with activities that transform behavior through 'empowering' play and if her wrists worked better she'd be out demonstrating a lot of the props she is still able to make in limited quantities.

Contact Debbie by phone 910-622-0977 or email twirlingarcade@gmail.com