New Lego Camp is a Creative Success

by Mary Brady

Taking a peek into Town Hall, about twenty children were quiet and immersed in their tasks of creating fabulous unique creations with Legos. It was amazing to see each table of three to four children ages 5-10 working on individual projects with such concentration and imagination. The lighting was dim with soft music playing in order to generate an environment for concentration and imagination.

As I strolled from table to table, each child proudly showed me a variety of items such as houses, cars, planes, people, rocket ships, burger joints, pets, dolphins, etc. As Recreation Events Supervisor Derek Jones explained to me, each day is a new project and new theme. The children are given the Legos and shown a picture on the box and then left to their own devices to create whatever their imagination can dream up. The children are not restricted in using their creative juices to create a multiplicity of things. They learn to work together and individually. There is a large table in the center of the room that supports the new community the children create and add to each day.

For the youngsters with short attention spans, Assistant Director of Recreation Chris Nelson and Supervisor Derek Jones know their young charges need to run off some steam. Chris and Derek are hands-on with the kids. They interact with the children with patience, kindness, encouragement and respect. I was warmed by witnessing Chris kneel beside one child to offer some suggestions on how to create a certain creature the child was trying to put together.

Three Assistant Coordinators, Alexis Burton, Megan Eid from Winona University in Minnesota, and Lauren Hall from Arkansas, are also on hand interacting with the children with an attentive and watchful eye. After about an hour and a half of Lego building, the children are taken to the beach for a swim and some free time. After lunch, they walk back from Buccaneer Island to their Lego projects and are back to creating new ideas with renewed energy.

Talk about happy little campers, these children all agree that this new Lego Camp is a blast.

Featured above: Camila and Chloe Fleitas enjoy Ocean Reef’s first Lego Camp.