Guest Post by Summer Intern Adriana
So the interns have officially been in Ecuador for one month, so crazy! The interns recently spent about two hours in a coffee shop in Baños reflecting on our time with Manna. One of the things that we realized we all enjoyed immensely was the party we threw for "Dia Del Niño." The party was a really neat experience to interact with the kids in a way that is very different than an ordinary day at the library. As we reflected on the party, we realized that we wanted to have more opportunities to engage with the kids more. We soon started brainstorming ideas of things we could do at the library with the kids that could be our little "intern project."
We decided that we were going to have a different theme for every week that was left. We are going to tailor activities, books, and science experiments depending on the theme. For example, this past week we decided that our theme would be Plants. I am in charge of the science experiments (we know have "Science Tuesdays"). The first experiment we did was with a plastic bottle, baking soda, lemon and a balloon. The kids learned that the balloon was inflated because of the CO2 that was produced. We were then able to relate that to how plants use CO2 and produce oxygen.
Some possible themes for the future are animals, careers, and countries. We are still trying to figure things out and we are seeing what the kids enjoy the most. Eventually we want to have a designated wall where we can show what the kids are learning that week and showcase their artwork. It's been interesting to see how this project developed from some small talk in a café! We will keep you guys updated on our weekly themes and projects with the kids!