Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula
Editor’s note: This is the third 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
It was a shorter week than usual at the club but we packed it full of activities. The week included field trips in all directions for all ages.
Morning Camp: Heavy Metal
The expedition through time took morning campers on a journey into the Bronze Age, where they spent more of the week learning about metals from the Bronze Age.
They focused on the use of heavy metals throughout history, panned for gold and learned how metal changed the airplane industry.
At the club, morning campers did their own treasure hunt and each went home with a piece of “fools” gold.
They even tried their hand at panning for gold in large tubs of water and sand but like prospectors of the past, they were fooled by the shiny golden appearance of pyrite.
A field trip to the Boeing Flight Museum in Seattle was a highlight of the week and custom tour by ages taking them through the evolution of flight, seeing replications of Kitty Hawk, Gemini Capsule, a 787 and Stealth Bomber.
They wrapped up the week building airplane piggy banks for saving a little copper of their own.
Brain Gain: Plant Life
The participants dove into the short week with a story read aloud by program leader Andrea Tjemsland currently working on her bachelor’s degree to become a teacher. Our members discussed “Sam and Dave Dig a Hole” about the main characters’ treasure hunt for a diamond. Talk included how every time Sam or Dave got close their search took a different direction.
Following the concept in the story, the kids went on their own hunt for diamonds hidden around the club — much like our staff does daily — looking for the treasure in each member. They didn’t find any valuable diamonds but they had fun hunting the 25 paper diamonds.
The kids spent some time studying a snail and shark tooth fossil and covering soil layers. Learning about the soil layers was quite tasty as they used clear cups and layered in marshmallows for bedrock, Cheerios for substratum and Rice Krispies for the subsoil before a little chocolate and coconut for the humus layer topped with a gummy worm treat.
Brain Gain participants planted seeds to take home before the week concluded.
Junior Rangers: Rialto Beach
One of the favorite destinations for returning rangers is the trip out west to Rialto Beach and the 1-mile hike to Hole-In-The-Wall. Along the beach walk, the members explored the tide pools. The boys were enamored with the rotting skate fish that washed ashore, and the girls with the harbor seal that followed the kids along poking its head out of the surf on occasion.
Park rangers pointed out the sea stack islands and mentioned the puffins that made it their home.
As most trips end when out west, the Junior Rangers stopped for ice cream at Granny’s Café, a local and member favorite alike.
Middle School
This fun bunch of kids had great week. They set out on foot for the Clallam County District 3 fire station located just across Fifth Avenue from our clubhouse. The group of 12 kids reveled in a tour from Len Horst with details their age could really grasp.
Fireman gave the kids parts and told them to assemble the hose taking it from the large spigot size to the one required. Then they hopped by the hose themselves and were able to try a turn managing the heavy hose.
Before the exploration of the fire station and trucks came to an end, the tweens learned about the fire department’s Explorer program designed to expose students to a career in firefighting. Friday the members loaded up and spent the afternoon at Lake Crescent. It was a real treat for this group as they have coveted the trip the older teens make on a weekly basis.
