Obamas donate Sasha and Malia's playground to homeless shelter

WASHINGTON — With just four days left living at the White House, President Obama donated their daughters' south lawn playground to a Washington homeless shelter as part of a Martin Luther King Day service project Monday.

"Malia and Sasha's Castle," as the wooden play set was known, is now at the Jobs Have Priority shelter, a 28-apartment complex in southeastern Washington.

The Obamas even showed up to demonstrate how to use the equipment. The president pushed two girls in the swing, while Mrs. Obama showed a younger boy how to use the rope swing.

"Brings back memories," Obama remarked while pushing the swing, noting that Sasha was not much smaller when the family moved into the White House eight years ago.

President and Mrs. Obama also spent about half an hour helping to paint a King-themed mural at the center, which primarily serves young African-American mothers with two to three young children, many with a mental, developmental or physical disability.

The mural "Wall of Hope" was created by artist Omatayo Akinbolajo and features a painting of Martin Luther King, Jr. The Obamas painted quietly for a few moments — mostly coloring in butterflies — prompting Mrs. Obama to remark: "We are painting in silence. Does anyone have any good jokes? Age-appropriate?"

Outside the shelter a crowd gathered and sang, "Obama, Obama! Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye," to the tune of the 1970 Steam song later covered by Bananarama.

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