The school-age children have the opportunity to build relationships with each other every day during the before and after school program. It is usually the same children daily, making it easier for them to get to know each other and become friends. However, during extraordinary times, such as March Break and Summer Camp, it is expected to have children who do not come to our regular daily program. Then, parents sometimes worry about whether their child will be okay meeting new people or if they will be comfortable enough to connect and make new friends. Conversely, children can feel shy and scared about what awaits them.
These uncertain feelings do not last long after arriving, primarily for two reasons. First, most children are easygoing, making friends quickly. Also, if they already have a friend in the room, they introduce each other, and soon, everybody is a friend. Second, some children already know each other for different reasons and from various places. The older child can be the sister or brother of the younger child's friend or classmate, or one of the children can be in the same school as the others but in different classrooms. No matter what, by the end of the day, they are all talking, playing together and becoming best friends forever.
Throughout March Break week, it was possible to see the children building connections that eventually lead to friendships. Moreover, it is nice to observe children who do not necessarily play together engaging in the same activity, talking, cooperating and building this unexpected relationship. For example, Braya and Aoife created a great connection during this week. Braya is in our before and after school program, and Aoife is not. Although they go to the same school, they are in different classrooms, which makes them know each other but not necessarily friends. On the second day, Braya made a drawing for Aoife, giving it to her as a friend's gift, showing that they built a positive connection. Likewise, Alice and Rina are already friends and do not come to our regular program, but they were here for March Break. The two arrived a little shy, but by the middle of the second day, they were teaching the other children how to make frog origami, making drawings and paintings for the others.
These special programs throughout the year show how children can build connections and relationships, inviting them to play with other children rather than only their friends. Then, observing these friendships unfolding makes me wonder how it will be during Summer Camp, as the centre will have a larger group and more children from outside of our regular program. It will be interesting to watch them meet, engage, and connect with different children.
