PLAY!!!

Before & After school program

I am currently working at my YMCA in Smithfield. Which these first few weeks have been crazy, because we have been short staff but we are managing in group size. It’s been tough for the kids, because there are some children that are new to the program so they don’t know the staff’s names and other children’s name. We have been trying to be on a schedule so the children and get use to the routine, but it hard when sometimes we have to change it with the weather or if anything is going on at the school. We try to play group games and group crafts so we can bond. Also, we try to encourage everyone to play. As counselor I agree with Henry Jenkins, “We watch to observe how others perform, to learn new skills, to appraise our own performance, or simply because we do not yet feel in the right spirit to play” (pg. 4). Right now, we are really enjoying going outside everyday if the weather is good enough.

Jenkins, Shall We Play

Summer Camp

I have worked two summers now, but at two different YMCA’s and different shifts. The first time I worked all day and the second time I only work am and pm. Comparing these two camps the play was very different like just in space wise. Both YMCA had swim, sports, relax time. We all ways brought them into their groups so they could start the day. As a counselor I saw the kids build relationship and different learning skills that they never did before. Also, I sometimes had to sub to do all day camp, I got to eat lunch with the kids and interact with the different kind of play they did. Even more so I got to interact with the different age groups to because we separated by age so it was even enough for each counselor.

Baby sitting

I have babysat since I was old enough to watch my cousins by myself or was watched by my aunt with taking care of my cousins. In the beginning I really don’t want to call it youth work, but I feel like once I was older to come up with games or talk to the kids I watched. I got call by my mom and everyone else since I started I am the baby or child whisper. I now mostly now babysit for the YMCA and we play all the time and maybe here and there we read books when they want to. Also, sometimes I’m doing the dramatic play when I dance to music to make one of the babies to laugh. But also, I watch other children interact or I pretend with them if I’m eating yummy ketchup that they gave me to eat.