Children learn ‘art of giving’ at summer camp

AMMAN — When it is summer and school is out, parents find themselves stuck with children with too much energy and nothing to do, but summer camps in Amman offer a solution to their dilemma. 

Some parents hear about the camps from a friend, like former teacher Rana Halteh, who found out about the Haya Cultural Centre’s “Art and Giving” camp from an acquaintance.  

Parent Muath Qteishat was on his way to a bank near the Haya Cultural Centre when his children spotted the camp and asked to look around. Halteh and Qteishat both decided to enrol their children in the summer camp, which began on June 5 with the start of the fasting month of Ramadan.

The camp aims to teach children about the importance of giving to the community by focussing on a varied set of skills and arts, Dalia Khamra, Haya Cultural Centre’s general manager, told The Jordan Times this week.

Khamra said that towards the end of the camp, children are able to use skills they learn during visits to charitable organisations and interactions with the children there. 

The programmes include art, music, drama and cookery, she said, noting that children learn to cook different kinds of food. 

Children get to pick different combinations of activities, like drama and cooking for example, and are free to change them every week during the month-long camp, which concludes on July 5.

Children who take cookery, painting or clay classes get to share the items they make with three charitable organisations, Khamra said, noting that the centre has conducted preliminary field visits to the organisations to prepare for the trips. 

Parents drop their children at the centre at 10am and pick them up at 2pm from Sunday to Thursday. 

Children attend their choice of classes, and during breaks, they play creative outdoor games that involve physical activity and critical thinking.

“Children should not feel like they are at school, going from one class to the next; instead, they should make the best of their time at camp”, Khamra said. 

The Art and Giving camp also has volunteers who take care of the children and escort them to their classes. 

Haitham Al Zu’bi, a 17-year-old student at Jubilee School, said his school requires pupils to do community service, and while looking for places to volunteer, he found out about the Haya Cultural Centre.

Zu’bi said he has an attendance list of the children in his care, so he checks they are all present and that they have everything they need, before taking them from one class to the next. 

Volunteering at the summer camp has improved his communication skills with children, Zu’bi told The Jordan Times. 

The theme of upcoming camps in July and August will be travel, and children will get to virtually visit different countries, according to Khamra. 

Children will learn about different cultures through music, folklore dancing, arts, food and creative games, she said. 

Other specialised camps for older children will offer classes in visual arts, filmmaking, performing and sports, depending on demand, the general manager added.