Article Contributed on: 7/28/2008 1:09:00 PM
Greenwood Village runs a small day camp throughout the summer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Kids 6 to 10 years of age are invited. This event is called Fun in the Sun. There are 40 kids who attend each day, and the programs are themed: Wet and Wild Day is water games; Pirates Cove is a treasure hunt, etc.
A group of mothers requested doing something similar with preschool kids. This summer, for the first time, Greenwood Village offered a mini day camp for 4 and 5 year olds. The camp was held at Silo Park (app. Orchard/Dayton) in the barn and on the grounds. There were 10 kids in the class this summer which met on Mondays, July 7 through July 28. The idea was to mix art with recreation and play off themes; i.e., balls and bubbles, parachute games with balls, crayons and colors, finger painting and rockets and rainbows.
As a way to beat the heat, the preschoolers were treated to some
cool forms of entertainment each Monday by
Cheri Seeton, aka Merry Cheri the Clown. On the first Monday, Cheri had the kids help her with a lively skit (complete with props and costumes) in which she carried out a ridiculous plot where she had to jump through nine different hoops to complete her mission.
Then on the second Monday, Cheri told her original version of
Sody Sallyrytus, an Appalachian folktale, which included singing and playing her Djembe (African drum). The kids used the ground as their drum and played along to the end when pet squirrel, the little guy, won out over big ol' bear.
The children loved making the sounds of bugs in the woods on the third Monday as Cheri told a story with a moral: the worst kind of bug is a litterbug. She then demonstrated, through a magic trick, how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.
For the grand finale, Cheri told a story she wrote about
Penelope -- The Girl Who Wore Too Much. The group laughed and snickered as they watched Penelope prepare for a dance. By the time she was finished dressing, Penelope looked much like a clown. Cheri ended the story by playing her guitar and singing a silly song about how next time she would wear a simple dress and a whole lot less.
A good time was had by all. To inquire about next year's program, please call
Cathy Pate, Recreation Manager for the City of Greenwood Village, at 303-486-5766 or email her at
cpate@greenwoodvillage.com.
For more information on Cheri or Merry Cheri the Clown, call 303-279-2419. www.merrycheri.com