For children, there is no limit in dreaming what one could possibly be, whether it be an astronaut, a police officer, a teacher, or a doctor. So we from BS Child Development & Education organized a children’s fair in May 2018 with the theme “Mini Community: What do you want to be?” We introduced the participating children to four community workers: the veterinarian, the dentist, the chef, and the mailman. They got to know each community worker through fun games and activities held in four community worker-specific stations.
Stations
All stations addressed four subject areas, namely, language arts, science, math, and social studies.
Sugar Street Sweets
The objectives were to learn what a chef does, what the placemat is for, and how to make a mango-float. Through the hands-on activities, the children learned that preparing food is not only a fun, engaging activity, but a way to develop their confidence in their skills and abilities.
Mail Road Post Office
In this station, the children were asked to write a letter to their mothers in celebration of Mothers’ Day. They also reviewed the primary and secondary colors while mixing food the coloring over shaving cream they used in designing their letter envelopes. They were likewise taught how to match postal stamps.
Pet Clinic
Through a story, the children learned the role of a veterinarian. They were made to distinguish the different textures of animals with the use of a mystery box. The children placed their hands inside the mystery box and disclosed what texture they felt and what kind of animals have that kind of texture. This element of mystery captured the attention of the children and got them excited. They were also provided with real pet fish so that they could observe and feed them.
Shiny Teeth Dental Station
Through the story “Little Sally Loves her Sweets,” the children learned about the person who they should go to when they experience problems with their teeth. They also practiced their counting skills by checking how many of Little Sally’s teeth have cavities and how many are good and clean. They acted out feeding Little Sally cut-outs of healthy food and brushing Little Sally’s teeth using a big toothbrush. The children learned the importance of brushing their teeth daily and the proper strokes to follow when they brush their teeth.
Highlights
The fair was able to provide the children with various activities that target the different domains of development, namely, cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. They learned more about the work of each community helper, their importance, as well as how they themselves can help people in their community. The children were likewise able to interact.
As keepsakes, the children were given loot bags with original hand-drawn designs. Inside the bag were well-thought-out souvenirs from each station (e.g., postal stamps from the mailman station, recipe chart from the chef station).
Learnings
The first take-away from this project is teamwork. Although each group has its own tasks and goals to accomplish, as a class we had one collective goal, which was to use our best efforts to make the children’s fair come to life for the benefit of the children.
The second is patience. Some of the children were really hyperactive while others were more reserved; some communicated in English while others communicated in Filipino. We had to cater to the varying energy levels, differing attention spans, and individual learning styles of each child. Some of us became apprehensive when the children got a bit rowdy and uncooperative. Patience is key, especially when the children demand of teachers something that is outside their comfort zones.
Lastly, resourcefulness. Conducting the children’s fair in the Parking and Sports Building was a great challenge. Considering the time we were given, we had to find ways to make our preparations easier, whether it was looking for the materials that we need, or the means to bring our materials from the CDE center to the venue. Our venue was not as originally planned. We nevertheless made sure that the place was appealing and stimulating to both the parents and the children.
Holding a children’s fair helped us apply the things we have learned the past three years under the CDE program. As much as we have absorbed the concepts and theories from our lectures, application is another story, and this children’s fair showed us our strengths and areas for improvement as teachers. #
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