I was back for the second of four visits to Calypso School for the after-school program. I had given out homework last week: 1. Best of Calypso 2. Knock-Knock joke 3. Find an old-time playground game.
I started out singing The Cat Came Back and the verse we had written last week. Amazingly they had remembered it, almost exactly as we had refined it. That was very cool.
We listed things that we found to be the Best of Calypso and there was the usual friends, teachers, and, with some coaxing, we came up with neighborhood, family, specials, lunchroom and other aspects. Hopefully, I will be able to mix this stuff in to the song.
The most productive session was the old-time games that I hope will connect this kids to the kids who grew up on this playground. Great discussion of tag games, ball games, box games, jungle gym equipment, jump rope, marbles, red rover and other games. The kids put some effort into this, for the most part, and the teacher remarked that quite a few of these games are still being played at recess. I’m not sure how to fit this in yet, but seems to be a good way to help write the history of the school, and, importantly, kids’ play, in general.
We finished off with the Knock-Knock Freeze Dance, and it was a good way get up and move after an hour of some heavy mind work. Again, most of the kids had prepared one joke, and it was good way to involve them on several levels: movement, hand-instrument playing, leadership, memory recall and performance skills. All around a very good session.