A big handful
Tonight we read the story of David and Goliath with the kids, then made David and Goliath fingerpuppets.
It seemed like a very simple process. Carly and I had already made copies of all the David and Goliath templates, then cut them out ourselves. All we had to do was distribute them to the kids to be colored with crayons, then tape them in a round finger puppet loop when the coloring was finished.
When we have story time, after the singing, all the kids sit on the fat steps of a concrete amphitheater in the plaza, and we stand at the base, our own concrete stage, reading out loud, as loud as we can.
Then the kids come down and spread out over the big cement patio to color. It is very hard to divide them into groups, then sit them down, and then have them wait their turn to be passed parers and crayons. You will remember that we have around 150 kids every night, and there are just two of us.
The kids think that if they are not standing right in front of you with arms outstretched, trampling your toes, they won't get their share. So no matter what you say, they follow you around in this tight pack.
We found the best way to address this is by playing a game called "Grupos."
"¡GRUPOS DE UNO!" I will yell, and all the children will miraculously separate themselves across the plaza, being careful not to touch anyone else.
"¡GRUPOS DE TRES!" and with screeching and clamoring they arrange themselves in little packs of three people.
"¡GRUPOS DE UNO!" back they go into their individual spaces.
We do this for a few rounds, and when they begin to tire and lose energy, I bark, "GRUPOS DE OCHO, y después, SIÉNTENSE." The kids find groups of eight, and sit, sometimes even in nice circles.
They have learned that this means the coloring time is about to begin.
The love coloring more than anything else. They will sit and wait for the crayons, but there are still some kids who will get super grabby when you put a big handful of crayons down in the middle of the group--the kids who reach out really fast before you can say greenbean and roll 90% of the crayons into their personal coloring space.
Sometimes I have to reach down and take their arms firmly in my hands and we have to have a stern little talk about sharing. I'm getting pretty good at this talk.
All of a sudden, they are done coloring, and they are ready to have their puppets taped. All of them--100 shoving kids who think the tape will run out unless they are standing on your feet, breathing in your air.
"HAZ UNA FILA, POR FAVOR," I yell. Make a line, please. Make a nice pretty line.
And they do, sort of. But not really.
It seemed like a very simple process. Carly and I had already made copies of all the David and Goliath templates, then cut them out ourselves. All we had to do was distribute them to the kids to be colored with crayons, then tape them in a round finger puppet loop when the coloring was finished.
When we have story time, after the singing, all the kids sit on the fat steps of a concrete amphitheater in the plaza, and we stand at the base, our own concrete stage, reading out loud, as loud as we can.
Then the kids come down and spread out over the big cement patio to color. It is very hard to divide them into groups, then sit them down, and then have them wait their turn to be passed parers and crayons. You will remember that we have around 150 kids every night, and there are just two of us.
The kids think that if they are not standing right in front of you with arms outstretched, trampling your toes, they won't get their share. So no matter what you say, they follow you around in this tight pack.
We found the best way to address this is by playing a game called "Grupos."
"¡GRUPOS DE UNO!" I will yell, and all the children will miraculously separate themselves across the plaza, being careful not to touch anyone else.
"¡GRUPOS DE TRES!" and with screeching and clamoring they arrange themselves in little packs of three people.
"¡GRUPOS DE UNO!" back they go into their individual spaces.
We do this for a few rounds, and when they begin to tire and lose energy, I bark, "GRUPOS DE OCHO, y después, SIÉNTENSE." The kids find groups of eight, and sit, sometimes even in nice circles.
They have learned that this means the coloring time is about to begin.
The love coloring more than anything else. They will sit and wait for the crayons, but there are still some kids who will get super grabby when you put a big handful of crayons down in the middle of the group--the kids who reach out really fast before you can say greenbean and roll 90% of the crayons into their personal coloring space.
Sometimes I have to reach down and take their arms firmly in my hands and we have to have a stern little talk about sharing. I'm getting pretty good at this talk.
All of a sudden, they are done coloring, and they are ready to have their puppets taped. All of them--100 shoving kids who think the tape will run out unless they are standing on your feet, breathing in your air.
"HAZ UNA FILA, POR FAVOR," I yell. Make a line, please. Make a nice pretty line.
And they do, sort of. But not really.
posted by Ansley at 12:59 PM
2 Comments:
Did you invent the Grupo game? I think it is very clever.
I can just see you guys overwhelmed by all those kids, but handling it with total control! :) I am sure they love you! I'd love to hear your talk about sharing! :)
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