Activity Planning

Schedule and Activity Considerations

As mentioned elsewhere, things in Bolivia change frequently, schedules at times require modification, and this can be stressful for individuals who are used to having their day planned out. The important thing is to “expect the unexpected”, approach the schedule with some flexibility, and plan your activities ahead of time with plenty of “Plan B” options built in 🙂

Below are some general observations from past teams, that we hope will help minimize your stress, and maximize your enjoyment.

Time with the Children

There are a lot of kids, from toddlers to teens, with a wide range of attention spans! This means, you will want to plan your activities thinking about how you can divide up both your team members and the kids to ensure maximum engagement.

Your online schedule is color coded. All light blue blocks represent times in which your team is in charge of planning activities for the age groups indicated. If your team is also planning activities with La Trinidad, the church our children attend, the time blocks you need to plan for are orange.

We strongly recommend that your first activity be making name tags.  Keep in mind that many of our children are younger, so consider name tags that are durable 🙂

It’s a good idea to plan a mix of more physical activities (outdoor sports, obstacle relays, circle games, etc.) and more sedentary activities (crafts, board games, cards, etc.). This ensures that kids who are more interested in one type of activity or the other stay engaged, and provides the opportunity to burn off extra energy and to relax and chat.

Some examples of activities our kids have enjoyed in the past are:

• Melted bead keychains
• Bracelets (our kids are really talented, so include some more complicated options)
• Competitive relays
• Scavenger hunts
• Sports (there are lots of public parks where activities like soccer, basketball, etc, can be played)
• Themes (we’ve had teams make t-shirts, and planned a theme for their time with our kids)

A reminder: our children come from difficult backgrounds, and many are working through behavioral challenges.

• It is not uncommong for some children to wander off during activity time. We encourage team members to not abandon their activities, or the child will repeat this behavior in the future.
• Some of our children struggle when their routine changes. They can act out, bother team members and the other children, and become disruptive. Let us know if this is happening during an activity you are a part of, and we will talk with the child.
• We have children who have been exposed to inappropriate physical contact, and who struggle to establish healthy boundaries. Please read the our appropriate contact guide, and inform NCV staff if you observe anything that you feel is taking place that is not inline with this policy.

Work Projects

Your team will, in addition to spending time with the kids, be working on a project that will directly benefit our programs and/or the programs of a local partner. Your team’s specific project will be confirmed 4 months prior to your arrival.

Some things to remember:

• Projects are often planned in coordination with local workers. It is normal for workers to arrive late, so this can lead to delays. We will do our best to minimize this, but it is important to be patient.
• We purchase as many materials as we can prior to a team’s arrival. However, often we discover that we need additional supplies, which can also cause delays. Please be patient.