Setting the stage of the holiday season by experiencing some festive cheer in the characteristic  cold of December, Canyon Creek Elementary School welcomed families to gather for their annual outdoor Holiday Fair on Friday, Dec. 6 at 5:00 p.m. The Holiday Fair offered attendees to meet many vendors selling handmade crafts, hot chocolate stands, and Westwood students providing activities for the young students of Canyon Creek. Among these activities was the classic face painting booth, hosted by National Art Honor Society (NAHS).

The student volunteers of NAHS brought smiles to young faces through their creative and vibrant face-painting skills, adding a splash of holiday magic to the loud and joyous atmosphere of the fair.

“[The process of face painting] was a bit nerve racking at first because I didn’t want to mess up the painting and disappoint the kids, but once I got the hang of it as the kids were pouring in, the rest [were] easier to manage,” Swasthiya Mahesh ‘27.

The student volunteers felt deeply rewarded as they saw joy being brought to the children from their artistic efforts. This seemingly small joyous factor became the highlight of many volunteers at the face painting booth.

“I think it’s really fun and rewarding to see how happy the children are after I painted their faces,” Ananya Velmurugan ‘27. “I was here last year to do face painting and it was very fun then, and from that experience, it made me want to continue participating in volunteering in a way that was supporting what we do in NAHS and helping out the community.”

NAHS’s involvement went beyond creating designs from face painting, but also fostered creativity, leaving a lasting, inspiring impression on the children.

“I think that sharing art with the community will inspire young children to continue harboring their own creativity,” Kendall Potts ‘27 said. “I believe we did just that at this event by making so many kids happy, simply by bringing their imaginations to live by simply painting their favorite character or animal on their faces.” 

Feelings of nostalgia flooded the volunteers’ minds as they reminisced of their elementary school days, celebrating at school fairs. 

“It made me feel great just doing these small volunteer events because I had always loved seeing these high school students participate in these kinds of events when I was in elementary school,” Swasthiya Mahesh ‘27 said. “Knowing that I’m giving back to the community makes me feel like I am making others happy and because of that, it makes me happy to be here.”