We incorporated Kid's Club a few years ago but this year we decided to take it on as the responsibility of the administration - namely: Manis, Krischelle, Bonita, Sam and me. Thony and Patricia from the school also wanted to lend a hand. It has been fun getting back into "Club mode" after all these years and it has been good to be able to interact more personally with the kids.
Club usually starts off with prayer and some lively singing and then segues into the lesson and some fun activities.
The kids are divided into four groups. They compete for special parties throughout the year.
The competition helps keep up motivation and discipline.
Like I said... lively!
For the lessons this year we have been using ideas from Character First and adapting them to our environment with the help of Selafen, a made up character that the kids can relate to.
Life size "Selafen" that Krischelle and I made.
Manis, Selafen and some of the club kids.
Along with the Selafen story each trait has crafts, games, a song, a Bible verse and more that go along with it.
Back in March we were studying Honesty. Part of their story involved a truck made out of tin cans that was given to Selafen (he let his friends believe he had made it and got into quite a mess!). For the craft day we split up the kids into three groups. The youngest kids had to match shapes in their envelope to the shapes on the template to make a truck. It was harder than it looks and I was so impressed with how well the kids did!
We conscripted the help of teachers Lovelie, Kattia, and Bergeline
as we certainly had our hands full!
Some of the kids proudly displaying their work.
The second group sanded little squares of wood that we had left over from a camp about 5 years ago! They then colored the squares, and threaded string through pre-pierced holes to attach button wheels.
You can see an almost finished orange car on the bench.
The oldest group was divided up into their teams. Each team was given a few tin cans and some basic tools and materials and told to make a tin can truck. It was really great to see their creativity come out!
The final products!
This past week we had another craft day. We are currently studying Gratefulness and so their craft was to make a thank you card to give to someone who had done something for them and whom they wanted to thank. The kids got construction paper and a mix of other items to decorate their cards with (thanks to our friends from Wisconsin for bringing the materials!).
Despite the wind blowing all their stuff around (see girl in the back trying to hold her stuff and catch her flying papers) they really got into it and had fun.
I was touched by what they wrote on their cards. This boy's card is for his father. He says "Thank you Papa for all you do for me and for putting me in school. Thank you."
This boy had started writing to his mom.
Like I said, they really got into the stickers and gluing!
Once they found the scrapbook paper with the balls, the boys were all over it!
I was impressed with this boy though who actually picked out flowered paper for a
card for his sister.
The kids also love the game days...
This was one of the games for attentiveness. The kids had to listen for their number to be called and then try to get the ball and run back to their team before being tagged.
(Thanks Josh and Russ!)
For obedience our team from Wisconsin played follow the leader with the kids.
Other games have included "the Blob" to teach how lies grow and "roads and alleys" for attentiveness.
We have had anywhere from 120 to 30 kids on any given club day depending on a bunch a variables (water shortage, gardening duties, school breaks, etc...) but it has been encouraging to watch the kids who have really latched on and engage in what they are learning. Please pray with us that these children will really take what they are learning to heart and that God would use it to impact their lives and the future of this community.
