Field Day

When we arrived at Emafini Primary School on Friday morning, the campus was quiet. Instead of pulling up to the 1,300 students that usually huddle around the building before school hours, we counted roughly 75 children throughout the entire school. As teachers, we knew that we needed to adapt our instruction and change the plans for the day. By the time that we walked down to the classroom, we were surrounded by dedicated learners from every grade, anxious to see just how creative we were going to be.

It was a beautiful morning. The sky was clear and a bright blue. The weather in South Africa can be quite finicky, so it was a perfect day to enjoy the sunshine. I spotted Maria and Gareth (who are teaching in Grade 2) gathered with their small class on the playing field. Of course! We could at least begin day with some warm up activities on the field. Soon our entire group and the sweet learners were participating in what we could deem a "Field Day."

Even though the games were spontaneous, the events turned out very well! We split up the group by grade levels, and combined the groups to make them as even as we could. Each of us partnered up to lead a group. Lindsey, Mary and I were the coaches of Grade 3 and Grade 4. We demonstrated freeze tag, follow the leader, Simon says, duck-duck-goose, red light - green light, relays, races, and dance activities for our learners. The sweet children were extremely excited and they picked up on the games quickly! Although our instructions were confusing at some points, the children made the activities their own.

Teamwork and sportsmanship arose from our groups as they cheered their teammates on during the events. It was heart warming to see students from different grades and classes supporting one another. Throughout the morning, I noticed two of Lindsey and I's students arrive late and without their uniforms. They live close to the school and must have heard the commotion and decided to join us. I was so thankful that they came! After two hours, we were out of breath and out of ideas. There are only so many games that you came think of on the spot! We had such a fun morning, but the school day was not over yet.

Lindsey and I took all of Grade 3 (which was around 20 students) back to Vava's classroom and organized some activities for them. At one point we gave the group some free time and asked to draw a picture of whatever they wanted. As we handed out materials to each table, a few of the children simply sat and stared at the crayons and construction paper in front of them. They did not know what to do with the crayons! Either they had not used crayons before or they had never been time to simply be creative, without direct instruction. Both of these options broke our hearts.


We left Emafini and headed to Seaview Lion Park. We had heard from the owner of the Bed & Breakfast we could play with baby lions! This intrigued us, and Neil agreed to drive us to the park. We did not know quite what to expect as we entered into the park. Neil's van struggled to make it up the rocky hills that led us to the restaurant and information center. Was this going to be like Addo? Were we allowed to get out of the van? Suddenly, my friend Ashley let out a squeal. Ten yards away from our van was a giraffe! We had not seen a giraffe at Addo! Before we made it to the information center we saw another group of giraffes, kulu and zebras.

Nothing could compare to what we were about to experience. We were about to be face to face with lions, in their own habitat. The only rule was to NOT get on the platform where the lions were lounging. The volunteers that work at the park informed us that this was their feeding area. I could easily follow that rule! I chose to visit the 11 month old brother and sister, Coby and Skyla. We were told that the lions were especially sleepy because they were fed the previous day. I noticed that their fur was rough and very thick! Their claws are curved and layered so that they can easily hook and tear their prey. Their tongues have small bumps that act as suction cups when they are feeding. Thankfully, we were not their first choice of food. This pair prefers horse or cow meat.

We also had the opportunity to play with baby tigers at the park. These cuties were only 6 weeks old! They were much more playful than Coby and Skyla, which meant we had to be more cautious with them. These cubs enjoyed chewing on a soccer ball and being scratched right under their chin and on their belly. They were so adorable!

Unlike a petting zoo, Seaview acts as a sanctuary for these animals. Some of the animals that reside in Seaview are endangered and often hunted in South Africa. The park is manned by volunteers, interns, and employees from all over the world! We met new friends from Israel, England, and the United States!