Orphanage Visit Part Deux

Yesterday I visited the orphanage in Osaka that I have started volunteering at.  Several native English teachers come to the orphanage, donate their time and skills to teach kids English.  These kids are the victims of domestic-related issues at home and/or those without parents.  We visited from 1:30-3:30 and had a really nice time with the children.  They all came and had a wonderful time.  Kids listed and played many games and activities in English.  We had a funny rock-scissors-paper game that utilized different actions instead of the typical rock/scissors/paper.  Instead we played Warrior/Monster/Cutie using the same rules as rock scissors paper.  The kids loved it and so did some of the teachers who had never seen the activity before.

We played the Japanese card game "karuta",  well I say we did, but truly the kids ran that show all their own.  They laid the 100 cards out on the ground and then took turns reading the poetry cards that give you the hint as to which of the 100 cards to choose.  Kids have to match the first sound in the poetry to the matching sound on one of the cards.  I wonder if there is an English version using the alphabet that this kids could try.  I think I will try to look for an English version so that kids and teachers can work together during this time.

We watched a youtube video as well.  It was about a 15 minute video using the characters from Hello Kitty to tell the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.  The kids knew the story from the Japanese version but this version only had English and yet they sat in front of the screen captivated like little foxes slowly creeping toward the chicken coop.  The level of focus was amazing considering this program was completely in English and they were at age ranges from 4-9. 

The rest of the day we played lots of games, coloring, and just horsing around with the kids.  They really crave attention and are quite happy to run around joking and playing with teachers.  They feed off newness and interesting activities.  So I am thinking what to do next time for the kids.

The last thing we did after the kids left was discuss donating clothing, toys and games to the children so they have interesting things to do.  Many of the kids don't have much clothing and it's tragic because they are such good kids.  So we are thinking about some activities to raise money and get donations to buy these kids much needed items.  I hope this can be achieved and the kids can have a great time despite their circumstances.