Cultural Games

The children will be a part of our culture and we will be a part of theirs by playing games from diverse countries such as

 Ecuador

  • Rayuela ( Unlimited number of players)

This game requires the player to jump from square to square and hopscotch while pushing the stone. In no case should the player stand on a stone line.

 El Salvador

  • Arranca cebolla (6-7 players)

The strongest person (the “onion”) in the group grabs hold of a tree (or lamppost, pole, etc.) and hangs on tight. The other players line up in order of size, with the smallest person on the end. The “onion” tries to hold onto the tree while the rest of the players link their arms around each other’s waists and pull as hard as they can. The object of the game is to pull the “onion” off of the tree.

  • Tripa Chuca (Unlimited but even number of players)

Take a sheet of paper and write two sets of numbers from 1-20 all over the piece of paper in random order. Flip a coin to determine who will go first. Player 1 will draw a line from number 1 to the other number 1 without touching any other numbers or lines. Player 2 will then draw a line from number 2 to the other number 2 without touching any other numbers or lines. The game continues with each player taking a turn to connect the numbers.

 Guatemala

  • Piñata( unlimited number of players)

The game entails breaking a paper-made animal, the piñata, with a stick. Children circle the dangling paper animal and take turns beating it, from youngest to oldest. The older children are blindfolded to even the odds. The game becomes a free-for-all when the piñata breaks and candy pours into the crowd.

 Haiti

  • Trouve l’epingle ( Unlimited number of players)

A paper clip is hidden on one of the players. Another player, who was blindfolded when the paperclip was being hidden, looks for it while all the players are singing to give clues.

  • 4 Points Cardinaux (sets of 5 players)

The four cardinal points- N, S, E and W- are each occupied by a player. Another player in the middle is trying to get into one of the points while the others are trying to switch positions.

 Jamaica

  • Punchinella ( Unlimited number of players)

Children form a circle around the player in the middle (“Punchinella”) and ask “What can you do Punchinella, little fella?” “Punchinella” then performs a dance move which the children in the circle try to mimic. Upon completion of the dance move, the player in the middle of the ring skips out and a new “Punchinella” skips into the ring.

  • 24 Boxes (Unlimited number of players)

The children form a wide circle with one child standing in the middle. While standing in place, the children forming the circle sing the "24 Boxes" song. They may also clap in time to the song’s beat. The middle person doesn't sing but runs or walks around the inside of the circle. At a specific point in the song, the middle person stands in front of someone whom he or she randomly picks. The middle person then does some type of movement which the person he or she is standing in front of has to exactly mimic. After this action (or after doing this two times), the person who was picked exchanges places with the person in the middle, and becomes the new middle person.

  • Chinese Jump Rope (3 players at a time)

Beginning with a rope (made from connecting rubber bands) that is placed around the ankles of two children, another child jumps in and out of the rope with both feet as well as on the rope and from side to side. The child crosses the rope using her legs, so that her legs are inside of an "X." Then the child has to jump out and straddle the rope.

With each jump, if they land on the rope when they are not supposed to, then they are out. Or if they are trying to land on it and miss, they are out. Once the child accomplishes the ankles level, the game gets progressively challenging as the rope is moved up to the waist, then below the arms, then finally the neck. With each sequence the child says, "in, out, side, side, on, in, out" as she jumps.

 Peru

  • Stone Games (Unlimited number of players)

In stone games, children use small stones to hit other stones or try to catch the stones with their hands. These games are similar to the game of marbles. In one game, the children try to catch the stones as another child tosses them, and by doing so, they capture that stone.

  • Sapo (Unlimited number of players)

Sapo is a coin-tossing game in which the players try to toss a coin into holes on top of a box. There is also a frog on top of the box, and if a coin gets into the frog’s mouth, that player is the winner. If no coin goes into the frog’s mouth, the players toss all of their coins and then take the total of the boxes in which they have landed.

 Palestine

  • Cubes (Set of 2 players)

Using a limited square-shaped space and pen of different colors, two players take turns to draw a line with the object of drawing as many cubes as possible. The player who draws the most cubes is the winner.

 Uruguay

  • The Taba (Set of 5 players)

The Taba is a game with bones that is played in a field where the taba or talus bone is thrown into the air. As the taba falls, the people make bets to guess if it will fall facing upward (suerte) or downward (culo).

  • The Payana (Set of 5 players)

Similar to Jacks, the game is played with five little stones and involves picking them from the floor in the time between one stone being thrown up into the air and being caught again.

 USA

  • Duck, Duck, Goose ( Unlimited number of players)

The children sit in a circle. One child is "it" and walks around the circle patting each child on the head. He says, "Duck, duck, duck..." as he touches each child. When he says, "Goose!" the child he tags gets up and chases him around the circle. The child who gets to the empty place first sits down and the other child is "it." Sometimes the tagged child catches the child who was originally "it," causing him to sit in the "stink pot" (the center of the circle). He can't get out until another child who is "it" gets caught and gets put into the stink pot.

  • Follow the Leader (Unlimited number of players)

The children line up with the first child being the leader. The leader walks, jumps, skips or claps hands and all the children in line do the same thing. The leader gets one turn and then goes to the end of the line. The next child in line is the new leader. The game lasts until every child has a turn to be the leader.

  • Who Stole the Cookie from the Cookie Jar? ( Unlimited number of players)

The children sit in a circle and are randomly assigned numbers before the game begins. Each player’s number is kept in front of him/her. The teacher or leader starts a rhythmic pattern such as “clap, tap thighs, clap, tap thighs,” initially at a slow pace. The leader asks, "Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?” repeatedly, in the same rhythm as the clapping and tapping. The leader will start by saying "# 1 or ______(name) stole the cookie from the cookie jar." That person replies, "Who me?" and everyone says, "Yes you!" The person says, "Couldn't be!" Everyone says, "Then who?" The “accused” person says, "#2 or ______(name) stole the cookie from the cookie jar." And on it goes. The object of the game is to keep the rhythm and the dialogue going, without breaks.

Game Contests

The friendly competitions will involve games such as

  • Puzzle Challenges
  • Balloon Smash
  • Ping-Pong Ball Spoon Race
  • Trivia game
  • Bridge building
  • Chairs game
  • Painting

Karaoke and Wii Dance

Younger children will be taught many songs such as London Bridge, All around the Mulberry Bush, Hickory Dickory Dock, Baa Baa Black Sheep, This Old Man, and many others.

Older children will select the songs they want to sing through the Karaoke Machine.

Children will participate in fun Wii dance activities.

Movies

The younger children will watch a movie which will be selected from the following: The Aristocrats, Frozen, 101 Dalmatians, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, The Emperor’s New Groove.

The older children will choose from “Spy Kids: All the time in the world” and “Mirror Mirror”

Reading

Children’s books available at the facility will be read to and by the children. Each reading session will be followed by a “Give your comments” period.

Board Games

Children will play a variety of board games available at the facility.

Science Experiments and Projects

 Polymer Chemistry

Polymers are essentially a chain of molecules (monomers) found in nature or man-made to make products with a variety of properties for many uses. Plant fibers, rubbers, foods we eat and even DNA are examples of natural polymers whereas plastic Tupperware, paints and glues are examples of man-made polymers. We will make silly putty and bouncing balls which are polymers with elastic properties.

 Electricity and Magnetism

Batteries are used to power your cell phones, iPods and other gadgets. We will make a battery by converting the chemical energy stored within a lemon into electric energy to power a small LED light.

Some magnets, like the ones on many refrigerators, cannot be turned off, and are called permanent magnets. Another kind of magnet, like the ones found in appliances, toys, etc., can be turned on and off and are called electromagnets. We will make a simplified electromagnet to illustrate how to create a magnet when electricity (from a battery) is flowing.

 Propulsion

We will demonstrate how flowing air can move objects by reducing friction to lift a hovercraft and illustrate Newton's 3rd Law of Motion to power a mini-car.

 Optical Illusions

We will use images to demonstrate how our eyes confuse our brain and vice versa and explore how various forms of light determine which images we see and how we see them.

Children will learn how color and light are related as well as explore phosphorescence and luminescence by making glow-in-the-dark bubbles. Additionally they will learn about the color produced when fruit is oxidized in nature by making “invisible ink.”

 Germination

We will explore the various conditions required for seedlings to sprout by making “grass heads” (similar to “Chia” pets). The children will also learn why greenhouses can be used to grow produce.

 Acid-Base Reactions

We will illustrate what happens when a gas is produced from the reaction of chemicals (vinegar and baking soda) by erupting a "volcano" and/or launching a simple rocket.

Arts & Crafts

  • Relief printing

A printmaking process where protruding surfaces of the printing block are inked while recessed

areas are ink free.

  • Stencil printing

A thin sheet of material, such as plastic, with letters or a design cut from it, is used to produce

letters or design on an underlying surface by applying pigment through the cut-out holes in the

material.

  • Image building

Using scraps from old books or paper to recreate a drawn or photocopied image.

  • T-shirt painting

Printing a stencil design on a t-shirt.

  • Hand painting

Painting the palm of the hands and placing them on blank paper.

  • Paper Bag Puppets

Very simple puppets made from small paper lunch bags. Many different ones can be made such as raccoon, dog, cat, rabbit, bunny, mouse, pig, panda, or frog.

  • Handprint Paper Flowers Craft

Lilies are made from a child's handprint (on paper) stapled to a straw. An entire bouquet of flowers can be made for a great gift or Spring decoration.
  • Hawaiian Flower Lei

A Hawaiian flower lei made from paper, drinking straws and yarn. It can be worn when finished.

  • Valentine Pop-up Card

A personalized Valentine card that each child will be able to give to a special person is made by folding and cutting paper in a series of easy steps.

  • Heart In Hand Valentine Card

A simple Valentine Card made from the pattern of the child’s handprint.