Jungle Jamboree Holiday Club

Until I joined you in St Thomas’, I had never experienced a Holiday Club.  But when D and M W proposed it for the summer of 2005, it seemed a very good plan, following the track record of ’s Dad, George, in running a Club for many years. It was heart-warming that many Muslim parents signed up their children, some of them very keen to do so because they had enjoyed  many clubs as children in George’s time.

When Dl and M were no longer able to lead the Club, I was delighted that Kathy and Graham Lees were pleased to take over.  And it was very encouraging that most of the team were members of our church, giving us a high average age!

So what happens?  Each year we have a theme from the Bible.  This year each day focussed on a parable of Jesus. Team members are asked to be in school for 8.50 am when one of us gives a thought based on the parable we will be thinking about with the children later on. The first day we thought about The Great Feast, Luke 14, verses 15 – 24.  Then for 25 minutes we complete last minute preparations for the programme, before the children arrive at 9.30.

3 of us check the children in, including an Urdu speaker and a Bangla speaker – this is more for the parents than for the children.  The children are given their name badge fastened round their neck on a piece of wool – we find this the safest way.  The 40+ children are put into 5 groups according to their age, each group named after an animal – Hippos, Tigers, Elephants, Toucans and Giraffes.  Their name badges includes a picture of the group animal.  Each group is led by 2 or 3 adults.

Then we start to learn the Jungle Jamboree theme song, followed by a jokes’ session – after the first day, the children bring in their own jokes – some of which are incomprehensible but we laugh just the same!  After that, we play some parachute games – that is, a purpose-made circle of parachute material which everyone raises and lowers by gripping its edge.  One game is to call the name of a group, eg, ‘Elephants!’, which is their cue for rushing under the parachute and back again.

Breaktime splits the morning. Groups take it in turns to queue for the toilet, or play games or go to the Jungle Jamboree Café, aka table with drinks and sweets for sale. Throughout the mornings the team notice if any child has been attentive, or kind to someone else, and give them tokens which they can spend aswell as their own money. One of the activities the children enjoy in the break is ‘Personal Best’.  Over 3 days they try to improve their skills, eg. in knocking over as many ten cans as they can with a ball.

After the break one of us gives the children a theme illustration.  For example, put a bar of chocolate in a jam jar and put that with some crockery in a washing-up bowl.  Ask team to volunteer with washing-up.  They all give excuses.  Ask a child to volunteer – who discovers the chocolate as a reward.  A simple interpretation of the parable but good fun.  Then, some team members perform a modern drama version of the parable – we don’t work very hard as we read our scripts which the children forgive as long as we make them laugh.

After that we start some craft work.  In my group on the first morning, ‘Elephants’ we are making little cakes: stirring in the ingredients and mixing them.  For some of the children this is the first time they have done this.  The following day the children ice their cakes and using little pieces of cake make faces of dogs, teddy bears, cats etc. On other days we make tiger or elephant or bird masks – there is much cutting, painting and glueing.   

Then there is another drama – about the Watts’ family who fly to Africa, get lost, are set on the right track by  a Jungle Chief wearing a grass skirt (and trousers!), but Rick (the wayward son in his 60s) absconds to look for treasure – he is rescued from the Wobble Warriors (Kayleigh and Danny) by the Jungle Chief who doesn’t need to act but is just himself!   This is all good fun but has an underlying message about waywardness and rescue.  

Each morning finishes with a Chat and a prayer from one of the Team, seeking to spell out and underline the meaning of the parable.      

The craft work on the Tuesday includes making an invitation to their families to join us on Thursday for an hour when the children sing their songs (a second one is a Memory Verse, Psalm 145, vs8), outline their activities, show off their cakes and masks.  Over 30 joined us this year.  Some team members chat with our visitors.

What do you do when a 6 year old comes to you wanting to do ‘Personal Best’ and before you have finished explaining a 7 year old wants help making her mask and before you have promised her  time later, a boy comes to complain of being hit by another boy? It’s only towards the end of the week that I have remembered how to control situations like that.  This year, I did remember another vital method – if you have to put down your bundle of crib sheets, always put them down in the same place!  If you can’t find them, you are in trouble!

We are all very tired by the end of the week but there is encouragement:  on our last morning two girls gave each team member a decorated card with our name on, thanking us for the Holiday Club.  I think it was their own idea.  Thank you for praying that families would allow their children to come to the Club.  Please keep praying for those children who have taken part.