Earth to Google: "Give me your young, your smart, your lucky ones."

Much has been made in the media about the coolness factor of working at Google. While some things that have been claimed are undoubtedly true (fabulous food, lots of it, and free; laundry on site; etc.), others have also either been exaggerated (fantastic daycare but uber-expensive) or imagined.
One thing that can't be denied is that Google knows how to throw a party for its employees, especially when not in the throes of recession (even their parties last year felt leaner and less lavish). Today's Bring Your Child to Work Day coincided with Earth Day, and Google did well, both in form and content. Sava headed to work early with the bus, and Raya, grandma, and I joined him mid-morning after Raya's nap. There was plenty to do, and by the time we decided to leave around 1 pm, Sava was trying to think of every conceivable excuse to linger a little longer. Alas, Raya had to nap. Here in images is some of the fun that the Googlers had set up for the little ones (older kids were in another part of campus):

Fish tanks with little magnetic fish; each child also, as seen on this photo and according to tradition, got a cute Google t-shirt with a unique logo for that year--this time, devoted to Earth Day.

Three bouncy houses:

 Bubbles, frisbees, balls, etc.

 And, mommy's favorite of all, as well as the place Sava begged to go back to after lunch, the Wild Zone. The Wild Zone is a concept I had recently happened to read about here and I had planned to take all of us to one of their playdates the weekend when Raya and I got sick. Today I had a chance to talk to one of the co-founders, Karen, who told me how the idea germinated; Wild Zones is a new kind of "social space" where children and adults get an opportunity to unleash their imaginations and to play while creating with materials from nature. Kudos to Google for bringing Wild Zones to campus on a day when both children and the earth got celebrated. Here's Sava playing in the Wild Zone--

There was much else that we barely glimpsed: "Google Farmer's Market," where children could sample all sorts of fruits and vegetables as well as tons of healthy snacks; art tables where children painted using cut up fruits and vegetables in the place of brushes; finger painting, etc.
One of the things that always amazes me at these events is the sheer number of languages that can be overheard, and the remarkable fact that so many children in this part of the country are growing up fully bi-lingual, if not tri-lingual and more. Just today I heard at least a dozen languages around me, all spoken to children who doubtless were born and are being raised in this English-speaking country. It is impressive and awe-inspiring. Google has a lot to contribute to making this world a better place, not the least in the way it raises a young generation that is already talented and very very lucky. We feel fortunate to be able to partake of the boon that is this company right now, which is not to say that it wouldn't be better some day to relocate to a less populous place with more open spaces, fewer traffic lanes, and more real nature as opposed to "social spaces" cut out for the experience of nature. Like Montana, for instance.