Fun at the Club

I have been working at the Ballard Boys and Girls Club for almost four months and have loved it. There are two other counselors with me leading the "Fish", 30 2-3rd graders, and I am only there in the afternoons. After working at an office in the morning, it is a nice shift to being around the kids, organizing activities, playing games, cooking dishes, teaching crafts, etc. Of course with kids there is also the occasional mess, whining, disobedience, but by in large they are a great group and I've had fun getting to know them all.
Entering the world of an 8yr is interesting. Their world can be shattered if someone takes the last yellow lincoln log or completely restored if the gym is suddenly open to play in. Social interaction brings all sorts of conflict-potential into the room when you have such a large mix of kids. Some are the oldest, some the youngest, others in the middle, and some have no siblings at all. Friendships are defended and displayed in unusual ways. By giving them optional activities and reminding them of the resposibility each entails, they are learning that the world doesn't revolve around them, that they don't always get their way, that their actions have consequences, and also that they have more fun when things are structured, that having friends who encourage is better than ones who make fun of you, that it is safer to take risks when you have the freedom to fail. Their world may seem simple to adults, but to them it is overwhelming complex at times.

Our room and club is equipped for structured, fun activity. In our room we have a shelf of books and board games, boxes of legos, cards, lincoln logs, blocks, paper, pens, colored pencils, and more. Each month we change the decorations together and think of the "Question of the Month". Every day we have group time to share stories from the day and hear our activity options. They get to go outside, use the gym, work on the computers, study with other students. There is a routine for what we do and when and where it is done. BUT when the kids are on school break, like last week-it all changes. We have field trips to parks, the zoo, go bowling, mini-golf, swimming...with a ton more time to do it! I just wanted to highlight two things from last week.
1. Ballard Boys and Girls Club-lego editionFor my entire time at the club, all the kids have been obssessed with lincoln logs. They would have lincoln log wars, forts, competitions endlessly. I was curious how long this would last! I was surprised last week when I came in and saw three boxes of legos and eight kids building anything that came to their mind. A few of them started building a structure and came up with the idea of making the BBGC out of legos! Each day they added new parts to it. I had not picked up legos in years and felt like a little kid again helping them find pieces and brainstorm where each should go. The final result looked like this, though no camera angle could do justice. We are all pretty proud of it, though it is incomplete.
2. Ironman Fan
One of the boys in my group loves robots, and anything associated with them. So he pretty much adores Ironman and he and his friend decided to build an Ironman suit over the break. To motivate them to finish, I told them that if they did complete it all, then I'd grow and shave my facial hair like the real Ironman! Their eyes got big and they immediately started drawing out plans. They were limited on materials and not allowed to weld yet, so cardboard had to suffice. He couldn't bring it into the club from his house so I needed a detailed description and his mom's testimony before I committed to the goatee but they did it. I continue to enjoy being at the club because it is always an adventure and growing place for both kids and counselors.