Cool Creativity at CSC!

One thing I really love about our kids at CSC is their knack for creativity.  Since these kids grew up in poverty in villages and on the streets of Cebu or neighboring cities and islands, they didn't have the luxury of dozens of expensive toys.  It's so fun to watch them during play times at CSC and see what kinds of activities they come up with.  It might be an age-old game like "London Bridges", Duck Duck Gray-Duck (or is it Goose?), pick-up games of baseball, basketball, or soccer, or looking in every nook and cranny for the coolest bugs of the day.  Sometimes, it's even something a little more creative... 

Their version of Duck Duck Gray-Duck

An awesome moth that was found in the yard!

One day, I watched as they created their own game of basically high-jumping.  Two kids would sit with their arms out, and the kids, one by one, had to jump over their arms.  Each round, the arms went higher and higher, until fewer kids were left.  These kids can JUMP!

Another time, they were jumping over a child who was making an arch on the ground with her body.  They were supposed to jump high enough to clear her completely!

Yet another day, I watched as one of our strong older boys (Julieto) stood in the yard, with a string of kids in a line beside him.  For a good half hour (at least!), the kids would get their turn, one-by-one, to be flipped 360 degrees over Julieto's arm!  They LOVED it and immediately after their turns were done, they'd hop right back in line for the next time!  Julieto would stop for a moment here and there for a quick breather, but would quickly start up again, thoroughly enjoying giving the kids so much joy out of such a simple activity!

Bart caught my attention a couple times as he was working hard at his "cooking" skills.  One day, he was mixing "chocolate" with leaves and dirt.  Another day, he called me over and said he was making S'mores.  I looked at his "fire" (grass) and "marshmallow" (piece of wood), and was so proud of his creativity!

Look carefully to see his "marshmallow" and "fire"!

Lately, a big hit has been the slipper game.  I guess this game has been around the streets of Cebu for many years, and the kids LOVE it!  I'm still a little confused as to the rules and structure of the game... I do know that there are different rounds and for each round, you have to balance the slipper a certain way while you cross from one side to the other (in another certain way) without dropping the slipper.  Then when you get to the other line, you have to drop it in a very particular way to get points.  It gets progressively more difficult as the game goes on.  Thank goodness, if you're as horrible at it as I am, a player can "save" you!  Thank goodness, Jeneviev and Bernardo worked to save me a few times!  I wish I'd had time to play more, but I think it would take a while to perfect my skills.  I'm amazed at their abilities!

Balancing it on the arm for this round.

The slippers on the ground are strategically placed.  That's the starting line for one team and the finishing line for the other!

For this round, we had to get to the other side with the slipper on our head and twisting (or was it hopping?...) on only one foot all the way to the other side.  It was HARD!

Now to wear it on the ear.

Yet another popular activity at CSC is kites!!  When the breezes come in March, April, and May, the kites come out in full force.  The kids meticulously make kites using old plastic bags, sticks, and string.  We're talking detailed, fine-tuned work here!  Then they use an old can or jug to wrap the string around.  They are amazing at flying their kites!  This year, the big news was the three huge kites that some kids in the Cherne home made!  There is a Filipino flag kite, a CSC kite (well...CZC - we joked it was maybe Children's "Zoo" of Cebu?! :D), and an American flag.  Wow!!  They just used old materials to make them and they turned out awesome and beautiful!!

An typical CSC kite made from sticks, a plastic bag, string, and a tin can!

The Filipino flag kite

The CSC (CZC :D) kite, complete with the logo! 

American flag kite

The hilarious thing about the kites is the infamous "Christmas Tree"!  This large, beautiful tree to the side of the wonderful CSC yard has become an icon....not solely because of its natural beauty, but because of the beauty the kids have added to it with their wayward kites.  They do their best to fly them away from the trees, but time and time again, the kites get stuck in the trees or over the wall.  This tree seems to have a way of becoming a magnet to our kites!  There are so many kites stuck in the tree, it looks like it has ornaments.  Hence the "Christmas Tree" name!

It's hard to see here, but this is a top portion of the "Christmas Tree".  Can you find at least 3 kites?!

Who says you can't have fun with simple materials and a creative brain??!!  I'd like for some of our CSC kids to teach some American kids how to think outside the box and have fun with the basics.  Forget video games and expensive toys; try making your own kite with household materials, playing a game with just your slippers, exploring nature, or making up an activity that requires no materials and no expense!  I love how enjoyable simplicity can be.

The kids love to be creative with the abundance of beautiful flowers around the complex!  This one that I received from one of our girls was made by twisting back the petals of the white flower, then placing a tiny red flower in the middle.  These are my favorite flower creations they make!

These two sisters took a brief break from their sweeping chores, using their brooms to belt out songs into their "microphones" and jam on their "guitars".

A few kids one day took plastic bags, tied them end to end, tied them to their shirts, and ran around the yard.  They were THRILLED with their "tails"! :)