Editor’s note: This is the second of a weekly series of activities happening at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula. For more information, see positiveplaceforkids.net or call 683-8095. — MD

Each day that school is out we find more and more to do with our members. This week our Bike Club kicked off and no better time than now with the incredible weather and our commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Members are benefiting from knowledgeable volunteers sharing time in the club with them teaching them bike safety and bike maintenance. The club could benefit from bike helmet donations (fit ages 9-13) so we can get them out on the trail.

Morning Camp

Morning attendees continue to explore the Prehistoric Period with a look into the Stone Age. The campers created several different art projects using different fine arts techniques. “Cave paintings” were done with acrylic paints, mammoth drawings with oil pastels, masks using mix media collage and lastly sculpture to replicate Stonehenge.

The members enjoyed watching the popular children’s movie, “The Crooks” about a caveman family trekking through an unfamiliar world with the help of an inventive boy. To enjoy during the feature presentation, they made their own campfire treats with a cookie base, chocolate frosting, pretzel logs and dyed coconut for flames.

Brain Gain

Fish, fish and more fish! There are over 28,000 species of fish and members discovered the many attributes of fish and how changing environmental conditions can affect the size of fish populations. As they do each week with Brain Gain, they dove into a corresponding vocabulary list learning about dorsal fins, vertebrae and bodies of water.

The summer learning loss prevention program benefits from RSVP, a senior corps of volunteers organized by OlyCAP. Volunteer Mike Barton shared his passion for ichthyology bringing in skeletons, air bladders and trinkets made from fish scales. The week wrapped up with group reading the book “The Rainbow Fish” about a beautiful fish that finds friendship and happiness when he learns to share.

Junior Rangers

The first expedition of the year was a smashing success! Our Junior Rangers did a 4-mile hike on the Spruce Railroad Trail that wraps around Lake Crescent.

The kids (and the staff) were educated on the history of this beautiful trail by the park rangers. The trailhead found in an old orchard meanders along the 9-mile lake. Members were fascinated to learn it originally was a railroad installed during World War I to transport timber for our country to build all of our fighter planes from the abundance of Sitka spruce on the Olympic Peninsula.

However, by the time the project was finished, the war was over and when the trail was no longer needed, they renovated the trail, leaving us a scenic hike with an intriguing story. The kids handled their first hike like true Rangers and are overly excited for next week’s adventure.

Summer in the Spotlight

Christie Honore served summer lunches at the club the past two years but this year she returns to us from Vassar College about to embark on her junior year to major in theater.

Through her good fortune and passion for our club she was awarded a grant to deliver a drama skills to members of our Boys & Girls Club. The 8-12 year olds are meeting twice a week learning basic production skills.

This week they are honing their stage presence and the courage to perform in front of their peers.

We anticipate the summer concluding with a presentation by our aspiring actors and they have been collaborating on just what that should be.