CatchUp: End Of Term Chaos

Thursday + Friday

This last week has been the final week of school for all the children at the primary schools, so its been an abnormal week already. There have been end of term tests and for the last two days of term there weren't even any lessons! When we arrived there were children playing outside everywhere, it was so confusing. So we hid inside the staff room with our equipment - which the kids really wanted to play with - and waited for the principle or coach to come around so we could ask whats going on, and what we should do!

That's when we got told all the lesson had been suspended and that we could go outside and join the kids whenever we wanted. In typical African style we had to adapt our plan to accommodate an unknown number of children. We decided against cricket in case we were mobbed and the children couldn't get a fair turn. So instead we brought out a netball and tried some small circle games, commencing with a simple throw and catch we quickly attracted a crowd of children. So I stepped up and changed the game, in order to keep the peace between the kids I would stay in control of the ball and we played flinch. A game for all ages that can be taught easily, I stand in the middle with the ball and pretend to throw it. If I don't throw it and you flinch you are out. If I throw it to you and you don't catch it you are out. Otherwise you throw back the ball and carry on the game. It was a lot of fun and the children would flinch in groups which everyone found hilarious and I played the part well to make it more fun.

When I realised the game was becoming stale I started another one of my favorites - Tomato ball (everyone stands in a circle with open legs which becomes your goal - and you have to protect your goal.) Normally only suitable for groups of up to a maximum of 15, I had to be adapt again and create a variation to involve 30+ children. So again I stayed in the middle and helped the ball on whenever they hit it in a particular direction. That way the ball was always moving quickly which makes the game more challenging but also I could make sure all the children were getting an equal amount of game time. It was exhausting.

Luckily the other volunteers decide to initiate a limbo so I got to rest a little. Although as soon as we started a line it began to grow, and grow, until we had at least 60+ kids wanting to limbo one after the other! It was insane. The final game we played was the largest game of mingle ever. 60+ kids skipping about singing the mingle jingle (which I had to lead every time) and then I had to shout a number or colour above the din. My voice was a little sore to say the least in the afternoon. Soon it was definitely time for a staff break.

The afternoon was delightfully peaceful in comparison. At GAPA we planned a day around the exciting trip next week, for example we played four corners with Cape Town landmarks like the Castle of Good Hope. We also planned to use the parachute with the younger children in the classroom, but it was being used by the grannies for something else. Instead we tried to do it outside. And it was crazy - all the kids just ran towards it so we played other games instead!

In the evening we hiked Lions Head as a family, one of the 3 peaks surrounding Cape Town so that we could watch the sunset from the top.