March has been a wonderfully busy month at Urukundo. I am delighted to share these events with you, starting with recess time for our students.
Questions: What does our library and activity area mean to our students? How does it serve the students? These are questions we needed to answer.
This month, with the help of our librarian Elie, Headmaster Viateur, and my assistant Esperance, we took a look at the area and made some positive changes. The activity area is an area set aside to give the children a safe place to play and things to play with during their breaks (recess). The toys are fun and a bit educational.
An overview of the entrance room. We made it more inviting. The kids love cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, and helicopters.
Doll area, including magnetic fashion dolls. Not sure how a bus got into the doll's area.
Fashion dolls with magnetic clothes allow future designers to try out different outfits for both male and female models. Many of you will remember with me the cut outs we played with in our childhood. I remember movie star cut outs – Veronica Lake, Sonja Henie (a Norwegian ice skater and movie star), and Rita Hayworth – and beautiful paper clothes. In the same play area, other would-be moms and dads care for the rag dolls and baby dolls, dressing the dolls and carrying them on their backs. Someday, this will pay off as they will be good parents.
Taking off for space, anyone? Our would-be astronauts wear their helmets for an adventure in space. Books are available to add facts to the imagination.
Construction area. Duplos add to the construction fun.
Building starts with toys and leads to building wonderful classrooms.
Qwirkle is a fun game, but it can not be played in 15 minutes, so our kids devised a way to use the blocks for designing fun. The colors add another dimension to the designs.
Our pretend kitchen is exciting for future chefs. Hats and aprons add authenticity to baking, boiling, and stewing. Cupcakes look good enough to eat. No, do not try it. Broken teeth would send you to the dentist. Tea, baked goods, and pizza are served daily. Pretend, of course.
Train ride, anyone? Putting tracks together is daunting but possible. Librarian Elie gives an assist.
African animals such as zebras, lions, gorillas, wildebeests, giraffes, and elephants are their heritage. Through play, the children learn about the animals who live in their land.
Fishing is not normal in a landlocked country but magnets let the kids experience the feel of a fish on the end of their rod. For a Pennsylvania girl (me, mama), fishing is second nature. Long ago, my dad taught me to fish, and years later I taught my grandson Christian how to prepare a fish for cooking. Brings back precious memories for me.
Telling time can be both fun and educational.
My favorite table
Puzzles keep the mind alert.
The library remains a big part of having fun during breaks.
For those who love to read, the library is still a place for wonderful adventures in reading.
New look in the main activity room. Making floor space available, Play tables restricted the play area to fewer children.
More space, fewer tables.
A space for would-be art enthusiasts.
