“Every day’s a PattyCake Praise Day!” beamed Miss PattyCake. More than a thousand preschoolers jumped up and down with glee as popular children’s entertainer Miss PattyCake took the stage recently at The Heights Baptist Church. Miss PattyCake was created in 1994 by Jean Thomason and Nancy Gordon.
"Nancy came to me with the idea when my kids were only one and two,” explained Thomason. “We sat down over coffee as I was rocking my baby and discussed what the character would look like. We came up with a cross between the ‘Romper Room’ lady, a teacher, and Pippi Longstocking."
Miss PattyCake wears a colorful smock with a heart and two hands printed on three pockets. In her heart pocket is a key that unlocks a treasure chest from God. Miss PattyCake's videos have been nominated for several Dove awards. On a recent Sunday afternoon, Miss PattyCake managed to hold the attention of kids ranging in age from toddlers to kindergartners for a solid hour. Even the youngest was singing, clapping and dancing in their seats.
“Studies show that the building blocks of a child’s character are set by the time they are six years old,” states Thomason. “"Miss PattyCake plants seeds in the hearts and lives of the little ones.”
After the performance, a long line of kids waited to meet Miss PattyCake. Some had her autograph a video or CD, but most simply wanted a hug or to have their photo taken with her. True to character, Miss PattyCake smiled and patiently took her time with each child, even as the line continued two-and-a-half hours after her performance ended.
While some waited to see Miss PattyCake, other kids had their photo taken with Mary and Joseph (played by siblings Jillian and Cole Edwards of Richardson) in a live Nativity scene. Others created hand-made birthday cards for baby Jesus, or ate cupcakes as part of the “Happy Birthday, Jesus” party. Admission to the event was a non-perishable food item to benefit a local food pantry.
According to Pennie Olivo, minister of preschool education at The Heights, "We filled a Nissan Xterra with canned goods for God's Food Pantry in Plano! There literally was only room for the driver left in the car."
So, Miss PattyCakes will be helping to brighten the lives of even more local kids long after she’s gone. No wonder they sing, “Every day’s a PattyCake Praise Day!”
Founded in 1956, The Heights Baptist Church is located at 201 W. Renner Road at US-75 (Central Expressway) in Richardson. More info at www.theheights.org.
