Many of the families in our community are unable to afford the expenses needed to send their children to school. As a result, these children miss out on the opportunity to socialize with each other while developing reasoning and collaborative skills. For the past two weeks, CRP has been hosting a Lego camp for 7-9 year olds and 10-12 year olds. For most of the children, this was their first exposure to Legos. Each day, they were challenged with completing different tasks that encouraged teamwork, creativity and cognitive reasoning. The children built bridges and balloon-powered cars, made stop-motion movies, and designed gardens, cities, and houses. The more complicated activities forced the children to experiment and work together to make functioning balances and catapults that would toss marbles across long distances.
The camp was organized by volunteer Zeina Othman Eyceoz, with the help of her two children and her two nieces. Zeina, who is from Jordan but lives in the United States, was inspired by her children’s large collection of Legos and her desire to help children in Jordan. When she learned about the number of children in Jordan who are not in school, she wanted to do something to mentally and creatively engage them. “I wanted something more than art. I wanted something where they can work their brains.” In the months leading up to the summer camp, Zeina and her children hosted movie nights where the entrance cost was a Lego donation. In this way, she was able to collect 90 pounds of Legos to donate to CRP. These Legos will be available for children to use in the future.
When asked what they enjoyed about the camp, the children replied, “Everything!” One boy in the 10-12 group, Jamal, explained, “I like feeling like I’ve accomplished something.” At the end of the camp, each child was presented with their own Lego kit and a certificate, providing them the opportunity to continue expressing their creativity through Legos at home.
