Fantasy hockey

We try to get the youth of 808 and 812 interested in new things to broaden their horizons a bit. One of the things we've introduced them to is the sport of hockey, an activity they'd heard of before but didn't know much about.

After playing some street hockey last year and watching the Bruins go all the way to the Stanley Cup championship, the kids were interested in doing some more hockey-related things this year, especially with their favorite sport (basketball) temporarily shelved due to the NBA lockout.

We decided to create a kid-friendly fantasy hockey league, where the kids chose players for their teams and will follow their progress throughout the year. Mike has created a way of keeping score, and posts new standings every Wednesday. So far, the kids are pretty into it, and they loved choosing their players during the draft we had in the Activity Room.

Lists of players and goalies were posted on the walls, and the kids were able to browse and ask questions about the players before making their picks. Some of the kids have even taken to looking up their players during their time in the Computer Learning Center!

To make things even more fun and unique, Dan created some original team logos for the kids, and even printed some of them out on sticker paper so the kids could show their team pride! Some of those logos are included below, along with pictures of the kids during the draft. We hope the kids' interest increases as the hockey season goes on.

Above and below: The kids browsing the player and goalie lists before making their selections during the draft.

Above: Sirak's team, the Coyotes.
Below: Shahir's team, the Cobras.

Above: Nebil's team, the Zombies.
Below: Feldano's team, the Eagles.

Above: Adem's team, the Tigers.
Below: Abdullah's team, the FireHawks.

A lesson in economics

In today's harsh economic client, it's more important than ever to understand how the economy functions and why things work the way they do. Mike, who works in the Computer Lab on Wednesday afternoons, majored in economics at Stonehill College and currently works in finance at a firm in downtown Boston.

After spending one afternoon discussing supply and demand with one of the youth, he decided to create a kid-friendly slideshow explaining the laws of supply and demand to share with interested 808-812 youth.

The turnout was great, and, despite having just returned from a day at school, the kids were eager to learn and understand, especially because it involved money!

The kids learned the basics of supply and demand, and then were given real-world examples, such as why sunscreen is so cheap in November, and why Mobil charges more for a Pepsi than Shaw's does. After the lesson, the kids were rewarded with a cookie for having paid such great attention. There's an economics lesson right there: if you work hard and pay attention, you'll be rewarded!

The kids had a good time learning about supply and demand, so much so that we're working on coming up with another lesson for them. It's never too early to teach kids about responsibility with money, especially in today's lean times.

Above: The kids gathered around Mike to learn about supply and demand.
Below: The group pays attention to the lesson. Lena is even taking notes! Smart girl.

Halloween crafts!

Fall is here, and Halloween is right around the corner. While some of the kids aren't allowed to celebrate the holiday by dressing up due to their religion, that hasn't stopped them from getting in the holiday spirit.

In early October, the Activity Room had a "Halloween Craft Day," during which we created a number of spooky and scary characters out of simple materials: construction paper, scissors and glue!

The kids had a great time creating the crafts, and they came out awesome.

Above: A few created Jack-O-Lanterns, including one with a beard!
Below: More of the kids' creations: Jack-O-Lanterns, a ghost, and some black cats.

Below: A few of the kids hard at work on their crafts.

Duck Tape Art!

Duck Brand duct tape has a variety of practical uses around the house, but did you know it can be used to make some really cool arts and crafts?

Recently, the Activity Room had a Duck Tape craft day. We used a variety of colors and patterns of Duck Tape to create wallets, flowers, and more, all using just tape (and a pencil for the flower stem).

The variety of patterns and colors enabled the kids to make their crafts unique, and everyone who participated had a great time (and a new place to put his or her money).

Below are some pictures of the project and the finished wallets and flowers:

Above: Shahir shows off his Duck Tape wallet.

Below: Doodie shows of his yellow wallet.

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Above: The outside of Doodie's wallet, covered in flames.
Below: Mohammed's Duck Tape flower (looks real!).

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Above: Another view of Mohammed's flower. It came out great!
Below: Mohammed and Ayoub hard at work on their flowers.

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Above: The kids were working hard on perfecting their new wallets.
Below: Feldano shows off his finished product.

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Above: The inside of Jayden's "hot" new wallet.
Below: Jayden shows off the rest of his Duck Tape wallet.

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Below: After all of their hard Duck Tape work, the kids enjoy a slushy treat thanks to left-over lemon slush from National Night Out.

Pieces to the Puzzle

The severe thunderstorms a few weeks ago forced the Activity Room to stay inside on a Wednesday. Rather than let the rain ruin our plans, we decided to take out some puzzles and work as a team to complete them.

Together, the kids completed six puzzles. The puzzles were varied, from Pooh to Cinderella to Four Monkeys.

After the kids were done, we taped some of the puzzles together so they could show off their work. It was great to see the kids work together to put all of the pieces together.

Above: One of the completed puzzles, Disney's "Princesses."
Below: Five of the kids' finished puzzles: Three "Pooh Bear's," one "Five Monkeys," and one Disney's "Tinkerbell."

Above: Abdullah focused on completing one of the puzzles.
Below: Sirak and Asmaa working together on a puzzle, as sisters Lena and Sara work together in the background.

Luau!

Recently, Brittany and the kids of the Activity Room had a Hawaiian-themed "Luau Party," featuring tropical fruits and drinks, tropical music, leis, and, of course, "the Limbo!"

The kids had a great time; thanks to Brittany for putting it all together!

Above: The kids in line for the Limbo at the Luau Party, held in the 812 Community Room.

Enjoying the Nice Weather!

As the weather has improved, the kids have been anxious to get out and enjoy it. The Activity Room has gone outside to play a variety of games in recent weeks, and here are just a few pictures of the kids' favorite outdoor activity: basketball.

Above: Sirak and Desi watch as Sirak's shot heads towards the hoop.
Below: Abdullah hoists up a three-pointer.

The kids are getting good at basketball, and love getting outside and playing. It's great to see them so excited about getting up and getting some exercise as well.