INSIGHT - ICT Centre for the differently-abled

Summer Magic Report

May 11, 2011

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Contents
1 Introduction 3

2 Activities 3

3 Coordinators 3

4 Conclusion 3

5 Appendix I - List of camp participants 4

6 Appendix II - Daily Minutes 5

6.1 Daily Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6.1.1 Day1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6.1.2 Day2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6.1.3 Day3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
6.1.4 Day4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

7 Appendix III - Summer Magic in the Media 7

7.1 Report on Summer Magic in Kerala IT News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

8 The New Indian Express announces summer camp by Insight 7

9 Report on the camp published by The Hindu 7

10 Special report on the camp in the news portal yentha.com 8

11 The New Indian Express published a comprehensive report on the camp 9

12 Appendix IV - Snapshots of the Magic 10

12.1 Breaking the ice with Sri. Brahma Nayakam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
12.2 Camp participants getting acquainted with each other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
12.3 Volunteers and resource persons help children follow the instructor’s commands . . . . . . . . . . 11
12.4 Children doing the Surya Namskar during Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
12.5 A camp participant preparing a write-up on camp activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
12.6 A participant being helped with a puzzle game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
12.7 A participant with his art work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
12.8 Another participant painting an elephant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
12.9 Arts and crafts session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
12.10Once upon a time - Story telling session in progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
12.11Children listening to the story told by the puppets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
12.12A participant interacts with a puppet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

13 Specimens from Art and Crafts session 16

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1 Introduction
It was a handful of magical summer days that Insight offered its students in the last week of April, between
25th and 30th of the month to be precise. No nook or corner of the centre was spared of the ring of amusement
of 17 children who participated in the summer day camp titled Summer Magic, conducted by Insight. The
MAGIC held exclusively for children with special needs offered diverse interactive, educative and creative
sessions comprising Music, Arts, Games/Gardening, ICT and other Creative activities.

2 Activities
The Magic began with a stimulating icebreaking session by noted motivational speaker Brahma Nayakam. The
heady start gave the much needed momentum to the event. From day two, the camp activities began with yoga,
tailored to meet the needs of special children. The sessions were conducted by Mr. Radhakrishnan. Yoga was
followed by gardening session. This was utilized to teach children vocabulary related to plants and gardening.
In the ICT session, older children in the group were asked to write a paragraph on select topics using word
processor, after which they practised number activities and logic games. The others did simple activities like
knowing the computer peripherals and puzzles.
In the arts and crafts session, the camp presented activities like painting, collage and paper crafts on different
days. Children had great fun working with myriad colours and the joy of creating could be seen on their honest
faces. This session offered mostly group activities during which they were made to interact with their peers,
thus boosting their social skills. Children were helped to make Thank You cards, which were presented to
their parents on the closing day of the camp. There was music to help children relax amidst the disquiet.
Popular English and Malayalam rhymes were played and animated videos accompanied the music. Children
were encouraged to sing along and enact the lines. A professional keyboard player played music when it was
the turn of the tiny tots to sing. Mr. Pradeep, a folk artist delighted the children with ’naadan paattukal’ (folk
songs) inherent to Kerala. With him, they sang, danced and made merry to the beats of his drum.
The high spot of the camp was a puppetry session handled by Mr. Subin, a teacher, for whom puppetry is a
passion. The puppets told them numerous tales and children happily chattered with their new friends. They
also learnt the art of making puppets out of common objects like plastic bottles. The children heard more
stories during the story telling sessions, which were innovative with the use of digital slides, illustrating the
story. When the children saw the characters come alive on large screen, their joy knew no bounds and most of
them could be seen trying to touch the characters on screen. After each story telling, children were provided
with worksheets based on the stories. They were given prizes everyday to encourage them to get involved.
The camp came to a close with a counselling session for parents on 30th April. On the day, children put on
a show for the parents with the songs they learnt at the camp. Consolations prize were given to all the camp
participants.

3 Coordinators
Ipshitha Chakraborthy, the lead resource person of Insight’s children’s centre, guided the camp. Seven other
resource persons assisted Ipshitha. Insight also made use of the services of seven volunteers, whose cooperation
is commendable. The success of the camp is a result of the combined effort of all those who worked for it.

4 Conclusion
The motto of Summer Magic was to help children learn social skills and develop their communicative ability.
Insight aimed at helping children shed their inhibitions and let them free to express themselves, which is one
of the basic human needs. The camp intended to help children make friends and encourage them to express in
distinct ways. We had prepared a detailed vocabulary list for each activity, based on which words were introduced
to them during the sessions. For e.g., during their lunch, children were introduced to related vocabulary like
spoon, rice, etc. and were also encouraged to practise table manners. The camp further nourished the creative
sense in children, encouraging them to adopt alternative ways to communicate and express. Summer Magic,
though an attempt as far as Insight is concerned, turned out to be a rewarding one for all who were a part of it.
Insight is planning to revive the fun days of the summer camp. Insight is organizing another camp for adolescents,
those above 13 years of age, that will begin on 16 May. It is the amazing response that we received for Summer
Magic that motivated us to plan a second camp. The camp is titled Summer Magic 2 and will be on for a week.
Insight has planned a different set of activities for the second camp considering the intellectual capacities of the
participants. Yoga, gardening, puppetry and ICT activities will be fashioned to meet their abilities. The camp
will conclude on 22 May with counselling for parents and a programme presented by the participants.

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5 Appendix I - List of camp participants
1. B Vismaya
2. S K Akhil
3. Karthik Praveen

4. Abdul Hadi
5. Ajay M. Nair
6. Amal Babu
7. Nidhin Sivadas

8. Madhav Menon
9. Rahul Ramachandran
10. Abhay Benny

11. Arshida H
12. Adithyan S
13. Khadeeja Shareef
14. Athira K

15. Akhilesh R S
16. Karthik
17. Reshmi Aiswarya

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6 Appendix II - Daily Minutes
6.1 Daily Minutes
Instructions to the children were given in Malayalam and English. Stress was given on communication. Children
were encouraged to express their feelings in complete sentences, not merely in words.

6.1.1 Day1
Ice breaking session: Led by motivational speaker Brahma Nayakam. Stress was given on What and Who
questions. Children were encouraged to speak and ask the names of their friends. They were made to sing and
move their bodies to a rhythm.
Gardening: Each child was given a flower pot and was helped to paint it. After colouring they were helped to
plant and water jasmine plant in their pots. Vocabulary introduced for the activity: pot, colour: red and green,
painting, sapling, jasmine, etc.
Yoga session: Children listened to the commands of the yoga instructor and closely followed the physical
exercises. Volunteers and resource persons helped them follow the instructions.
Snacks Break: Encouraged children to use courtesies like please, excuse me, may I, etc. Malayalam substitutes
were provided in all cases.
Introduction to GCompris: Older children wrote 3 to 5 sentences about their morning activities in the camp
apart from doing number activities and playing games. Small ones were given primary learning activities and
games.
Lunch Break: Children were asked to find out their bag and lunch box. Eating manners and related vocabulary
like spoon, plate, water, wash hands, dish names, etc. were taught. They were encouraged to express in
sentences what they were eating, whether it was tasty, hot, spicy, etc.
Music: Music was played to help children relax. They were asked to repeat the popular rhymes that were
played. Thereafter the children were encouraged to sing along. Visuals of the songs were also projected on
screen. Copies of the songs were given to parents of older group to make them learn the songs at home. A
twoway path was adopted; they were encouraged to sing in group and interested ones were encouraged to sing
individually.

6.1.2 Day2
Gardening: Target Revision of vocabulary: pot, colours, painting, sapling, jasmine, etc. According to the
child’s ability, he/she was encouraged to observe and express the activity in words or sentences.
Yoga session: Helped children to listen to the commands and also closely follow the physical exercises their
partners were doing. Target vocabulary: Left, right, hands up, hands down, stand up, sit down.
Games: Target vocabulary: colours, jump on all the red circles/on alternate green circles, etc. Children
were encouraged to listen to the commands and do likewise. Suitable Malayalam phrases were provided when
necessary.
Snacks Break: Encouraged children to use courtesies like please, excuse me, may I, etc. Malayalam substitutes
were provided in all cases.
Introduction to GCompris: Older children wrote 3 to 5 sentences about their morning activities in the camp
apart from doing number activities and playing games. Small ones were given primary learning activities and
games.
Lunch Break: Children were asked to find out their bag and lunch box. Eating manners and related vocabulary
like spoon, plate, water, wash hands, dish names, etc. were taught. They were encouraged to express in
sentences what they were eating, whether it was tasty, hot, spicy, etc.
Music: Music was played to help children relax. They were asked to repeat the popular rhymes that were
played. Thereafter, encouraged the children to sing along. Visuals of the songs were also projected on screen.
As children were familiar with the song, they were helped to sing with actions.
A folk artist presented folk songs to the children. Children were encouraged to sing along, clap their hands and
dance.
Art Work: This included both group and individual activities. Each group was asked to do one art work using
different materials like coloured cotton balls, paper flowers, etc. Thus five groups presented five different works.
Each group was assisted by an instructor. Children were provided with pictures to be coloured, small children
had simple images like leaf or flower and older ones were given relatively complex images. Target vocabulary
was names of colours, please give me, please apply gum, please help me, etc.

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6.1.3 Day3
Gardening: Target Revision of vocabulary: pot, colours, painting, sapling, jasmine, etc. According to the
child’s ability, he/she was encouraged to observe and express the activity in words or sentences.
Yoga session: Helped children to listen to the commands and also closely follow the physical exercises their
partners were doing. Target vocabulary: Left, right, hands up, hands down, stand up, sit down.
Story Telling Session: Target vocabulary: Elephant, fox, colour white, forest, rabbit, etc. Children were made
to sit on the floor. Simple short questions were asked about the characters and events while narrating the story.
Digital slides accompanied story telling that helped sustain the curiosity of children. Worksheets based on the
story were provided after the session for children to work on.
Snacks Break: Encouraged children to use courtesies like please, excuse me, may I, etc. Malayalam substitutes
were provided in all cases.
Introduction to GCompris: Older children wrote 3 to 5 sentences about their morning activities in the camp
apart from doing number activities and playing games. Small ones were given primary learning activities and
games.
Lunch Break: Children were asked to find out their bag and lunch box. Eating manners and related vocabulary
like spoon, plate, water, wash hands, dish names, etc. were taught. They were encouraged to express in
sentences what they were eating, whether it was tasty, hot, spicy, etc.
Music: Played music to help children relax. Folk songs were played by the artist. He encouraged children to
sing, dance and even encouraged them to play his drum.
Thank You Cards: Children applied various methods like leaf painting, finger painting, thumb painting and
paper craft to decorate a card, a thank you card, to present to their parents. This was an interactive programme
where children were encouraged to talk about the activity in simple sentences.

6.1.4 Day4
Gardening: Target Revision of vocabulary: pot, colours, painting, sapling, jasmine, etc. According to the
child’s ability, he/she was encouraged to observe and express the activity in words or sentences.
Yoga session: Helped children to listen to commands and also closely follow the physical exercises their partners
were doing. Target vocabulary: Left, right, hands up, hands down, stand up, sit down.
Introduction to GCompris: Older children will write 3 to 5 sentences about their morning activities in the camp
apart from doing number activities and playing games. Small ones were given primary learning activities and
games.
Art Work: This was a group activity. With the help of instructors, children painted and also did craft work
with various materials.
Lunch Break: Children were asked to find out their bag and lunch box. Eating manners and related vocabu-
lary like spoon, plate, water, wash hands, dish names, etc. were taught. They were encouraged to express in
sentences what they were eating, whether it was tasty, hot, spicy, etc.
Puppetry Session: Instructions provided by the puppeteer were followed. He recreated a story for the children
using puppets. They were made aware of simple issues like disadvantages of improper eating habits through
the stories. They were also taught to make puppets out of common objects. Children were found to be happily
interacting with the puppets.
Story Telling: Target vocabulary: Elephant, tortoise, swimming, river, etc. Children were made to sit on the
floor. Simple short questions were asked about the characters and events while narrating the story. Digital
slides accompanied story telling that helped sustain the curiosity of children. Worksheets based on the story
were provided after the session for children to work on.

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7 Appendix III - Summer Magic in the Media
7.1 Report on Summer Magic in Kerala IT News

7
8 The New Indian Express announces summer camp by Insight

9 Report on the camp published by The Hindu

8
10 Special report on the camp in the news portal yentha.com

9
11 The New Indian Express published a comprehensive report on
the camp

10
12 Appendix IV - Snapshots of the Magic
12.1 Breaking the ice with Sri. Brahma Nayakam

12.2 Camp participants getting acquainted with each other

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12.3 Volunteers and resource persons help children follow the instructor’s com-
mands

12.4 Children doing the Surya Namskar during Yoga

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12.5 A camp participant preparing a write-up on camp activities

12.6 A participant being helped with a puzzle game

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12.7 A participant with his art work

12.8 Another participant painting an elephant

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12.9 Arts and crafts session

12.10 Once upon a time - Story telling session in progress

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12.11 Children listening to the story told by the puppets

12.12 A participant interacts with a puppet

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13 Specimens from Art and Crafts session

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