Update on camp activity

Ok, I've taken all your suggestions into consideration, and I changed the
game. Now the kids will each have a card with a picture of an animal or
insect and the name of the animal taped to their backs, and they ask the
other kids yes or no questions to try to figure out which animal they have.
I have printed up 10 pages of 4 cards each, now I just need to get them cut
out and laminated.

We play something kind of like this at the after school program now.
Someone says "I'm thinking of an animal" and the other kids try to guess
it. If the kid is asked something that he or she doesn't know, they
whisper the animal to one of the counselors and we help them answer it.
And so far, none of the older kids make fun of the younger ones if, for
example, they don't know what "amphibian" means. And, the counsellors
don't know everything either. I've heard some very creative questions that
I didn't know the answers to myself. "Does it smell bad?" "Would it eat
hair if it was really hungry?"

I found some dang cute animal dingbat fonts that I used to make my cards,
and here's an example of what they look like:

http://www.mindspring.com/~designbyluna/animals8.gif

--
Michelle Levin
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick

I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws.

Ok, I've taken all your suggestions into consideration, and I changed the
game. Now the kids will each have a card with a picture of an animal or
insect and the name of the animal taped to their backs, and they ask the
other kids yes or no questions to try to figure out which animal they have.
I have printed up 10 pages of 4 cards each, now I just need to get them cut
out and laminated.


Sounds like you have a winner now!
(Also, once the game is over, you can play other things with the same cards.
Once everyone knows what "their" animal is, you even waste more time by making
them act like their animal, or having them play modified "Simon says" by asking
questions.. (green animals, simon says stand up... Meat eaters--touch your
head..., etc)
Maybe more for the younger ones, but you get the idea....

Bravo -- great job taking the suggestions and finding a way to make this work.
Sounds like fun.

We parents aren't mean-spirited, we just love our kids like mother bears, and
we will respond that way. What you got on the group (the good, the bad and the
ornery) is what you can expect from parents in general. Please remember we're
almost always motivated by love, and that you may not be seeing us at the best
part of our day.

But then, if you work in an after school program you already know that ;-)

Good luck with camp.

-Dawn
Mom to Henry, 11

In article ,
(Iowacookiemom) wrote:

Bravo -- great job taking the suggestions and finding a way to make this
work.
Sounds like fun.

We parents aren't mean-spirited, we just love our kids like mother bears, and
we will respond that way. What you got on the group (the good, the bad and
the
ornery) is what you can expect from parents in general. Please remember
we're
almost always motivated by love, and that you may not be seeing us at the
best
part of our day.

But then, if you work in an after school program you already know that ;-)

Good luck with camp.

-Dawn
Mom to Henry, 11


Thanks! This group is a great place to learn. I have not yet had a
problem with any parent at the after school program, but like I said I've
been spoiled. About 1/3 of our parents are teachers at the school, and
they know what we're going through, and they tend to support us in matters
of discipline. Summer camp is going to be a whole different world. I'm
excited and nervous, which is probably how most of the kids feel too.

--
Michelle Levin
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick

I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws.

Sounds great. Thanks for listening to the feedback the group gave.

Liz

"Luna" wrote in message
...
Ok, I've taken all your suggestions into consideration, and I changed
the
game. Now the kids will each have a card with a picture of an animal
or
insect and the name of the animal taped to their backs, and they ask
the
other kids yes or no questions to try to figure out which animal they
have.
I have printed up 10 pages of 4 cards each, now I just need to get
them cut
out and laminated.

Cool!

And the counselors get to learn from the kids. Great! This also empowers the
kids.

Jeff

In article ,
"Jeff" wrote:

Cool!

And the counselors get to learn from the kids. Great! This also empowers the
kids.

Jeff



Oh yeah, we'll definitely be all learning from each other. Some of the
counsellors are only a couple of years older than our CIT's, lol. I'm one
of the oldest there, I'm 28. At the after school program where I work now,
I learn from the kids almost every day. I've learned the card game
"Spoons", the outside game "Wall Ball" (which I actually still don't know
ALL the rules to) two handclapping games called "Mary Mac" and "Double
Double," a couple of ballet positions, and one girl tried to teach me a
little bit of tap dancing but I was too much of a klutz.

A lot of kids love to teach adults how to do things, and seeing us admit to
our ignorance and asking for help makes them less embarassed to do the
same.

--
Michelle Levin
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick

I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws.