Pardon the cheesy title, but it's true. Tuesday's orph day was all about gross and fine motor skill development. I'm so thankful for my year and a half as a Behavior Therapist, which helped me learn how to plan activities that develop gross and fine motor skills AND are fun at the same time! Let me back up a bit: a couple weeks ago, I walked into a children's store in my neighborhood. I had spotted a small plastic slide on the sidewalk outside, and finally worked up enough courage to go inside and ask about. In Chinese, of course. Ok, I also practiced ahead of time what to say. The cashier received me graciously; we talked in circles, me asking questions, her answering, then me confirming what she said. I finally figured out that I could order it that day and they would have it delivered to my apartment the next day. I signed the papers and paid. The next day, I get a call from an unknown number (that's always a little nerve wracking, as I don't know whether to answer in English or Chinese)... It was the delivery guy. I actually understood him and he me, as we made a plan for me to receive the delivery at 2:00. Sure enough, he arrived on the dot. Much to my surprise, the box was HUGE. Taller than the guy, and definitely taller than me. Not only that, but the picture on the outside of the box is not just a slide. It is a slide and swing and basketball hoop. Score. So here I am, in my living room by myself, staring at an unassembled playset in a box, that I am supposed to somehow get all the way to the orphanage, not to mention simply out of my 13th floor apartment. Twenty minutes later it was all ready to go! I've never seen so many children so happy to go down a 3 foot high slide over and over. And everyone wanted to try the swing, big and small. Let's talk motor skills: that slide has 4 small stairs which you are required to climb if you want to get to the slide. For kids who stay on one level and don't use stairs as part of their daily life, this is vital for their development. Swings, as most everyone has experienced, have a calming effect. Especially for children who have no adults in their life to provide comfort, a swing can provide some much needed physical stimulation and comfort in difficult situations. And who can argue with a little mini basketball game? The line for that slide and swing was continuous throughout the afternoon. I must say, I'm pretty proud of myself finding a "toy" that I am able to leave there without worrying that it will be hidden, eaten, thrown out a window, or otherwise ruined before returning on Saturday. When I returned to the orph after lunch, I had an activity in mind for developing everyone's fine motor skills: bendy straw necklaces! The night before, I had cut up 150 bendy straws into 1 inch pieces, to use as beads in making necklaces. I may have mentioned before, craft stores don't exist here; so I've had to get creative with craft supplies, using recyclables and household items. The kids were thrilled about the idea and jumped right in. Surprisingly, there were no fights over materials or colors or space... and they all worked so intently on getting each straw piece onto the string by themselves! I was so proud. Mission Fine Motor Skills Development was a success. A few other precious moments from Tuesday:
I go back again on Saturday, and SARA will be coming with me! The kids are already excited to see her... stay tuned for more smiling faces.
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A note from Rebekah...If you've ever wondered what it would be like to start a nonprofit from the ground up, to open a home for ORPHANS with special needs in Asia, you've come to the right place. Archives
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