Monday
With both the staff and children still half asleep, the day starts quietly at 8am. You'd think after all the years of holiday care we would be raring to go, but it's still a shock to the system. Racquetball proves to be a bit much for the smaller children (it's a version of squash with a slower ball and smaller racquet). The bats are too heavy, the balls too big, the kids too small - so some improvisation is called for. Hurling the racquetball at the wall - we are lucky in that we have access to two squash courts - with everyone else trying to catch it proves to be great fun and safe. Remember to use a soft ball, though. The kids christened this 'Bungy' and still ask to play it. Netball is also popular. Some of the boys have never played this before, so the girls challenge them and are very surprised when the boys beat them!
I don't know how everyone out there feels, but with 70 kids to be fed and watered lunchtime is always a challenge. The usual cries of 'I don't want that', 'She nipped me', 'He's picking his nose' usually result in contented little tummies being filled, but half-starved staff.
Table tennis and basketball follow with changes to accommodate the smaller children - we use the small tables we use for lunch for table tennis, and the netball stands (which are much lower) for basketball. After quiet art and computer activities, the children are collected at 6pm and it's time to collapse in a small crumpled heap.
Tuesday
It's a full day trip today. We're off to Meadowbank Stadium, a general sports stadium that was built for the Commonwealth Games in 1970, to visit its after-school section called The House. Andrew, who runs it, used to be co-ordinator for 'Y Kids', so all the children are looking forward to seeing him.
Before we can leave there are all the usual checks - do we have all the children? Packed lunches, mobile phone, first aid kit? Have the children all been to the toilet? Are they wearing their coats? Do they know whose group they are in? We give them the usual talk, 'Stay together; don't go away with anyone other than a member of staff; if you get lost stay where you are, we'll find you; don't wander off; be on your best behaviour, remember you represent after-school care, if you enjoy yourself and don't get into trouble people will invite us back'. Then it's off into the three minibuses, and we're on our way. Andrew arranges stimulating activities for us such as use of the five-a-side football pitch and the running track, but some of us manage to get into trouble by marching back from the toilets singing the elephant march from 'Jungle Book' complete with trumpeting noises, upsetting the quiet in the yoga class.
After lunch, we're back on the buses and off to Murrayfield Stadium, home of Scottish Rugby. Arrive for 2.30pm stadium tour. Jim, our tour guide, takes us into the stands and answers the children's questions. Some of the kids notice that the scoreboard is flashing, and across it comes the message: 'Murrayfield welcomes Penicuik YM/YWCA After-School Care'. The children think this is wonderful! And so do the staff. We go down to the changing rooms, talk to some of the team, and emerge on to the track which runs round the pitch and have a few races. Popping into the Royal Box, the children think it very unfair that the royals have heaters near their seats while everyone else has to freeze!
Wednesday
An indoor bowls competition is planned for the morning. As always the older kids help the younger ones, and lots of cheating takes place. The jack is seemingly moving into a more favourable position of its own accord (for those not in the know, the winner of this game is the player who gets the most balls closest to the jack, which is a white ball). However, this only happens when our backs are turned, and not - as the children tell us - when our resident friendly ghost uses his influence. The skittles competition is next on the agenda.
Unfortunately the rain puts paid to our plans to have the mini assault course outside so we use our games hall instead - in and out of hoops, under obstacles, through the tunnel and so on. It is always hilarious, especially when the children start going the wrong way, and everything ends up in total confusion. The staff, who take part as well, have been known to get stuck in the tunnel. Finish our day playing charades.
Thursday
A trip to the Jelly Club for the morning session. This is always a popular venue as it's a giant, indoor soft play area and mini village, with play shops and pedal cars, garage, traffic lights and so on. The children are well supervised by both our own and the play centre staff, although rounding them up to return is always an event because the children can climb up to the highest levels on the play platforms knowing that staff can't fit through some of the tunnels to reach them. They just pretend they haven't heard you shouting for them to come down.
It always amazes me that some of the younger children have such goodco-ordination. One of our seven-year-olds beat a 12-year-old to win the table tennis competition in the afternoon. Badminton was also won by one of our younger children, who took part in the mixed doubles. Although no doubt helped along by their older partner, it is none the less quite an achievement - well done, kids.
Friday
Despite Wednesday's heavy rain the ground is actually quite dry with only the odd patch of mud, which most of the children take great delight in running through. There's always one child who seems to end up covered in muck. Thank goodness for understanding parents and old clothes - as we say, a dirty child is a happy child. We are lucky that we have tennis courts in our grounds (as well as equipment for all the sports mentioned here) so off we go down to the courts for a fast-paced game of rounders - which really means lots of running around for me, as I almost always miss the ball, a standing joke at our club.
One of our staff is planning a show along the lines of 'Stars in Your Eyes'
so much of the afternoon is taken up with the children practising their singing and dancing. They're getting very professional. We organise team games for the children who are not taking part in the show - a good exercise in promoting positive behaviour, for example, if they're persuaded that someone they don't want has to be on their team. This can also be a good staff exercise in diplomacy!
Monday
Last day - hooray! Five-a-side football is always more popular with the boys than the girls, but by making it a boys versus girls match, we encourage everyone to take part. Each match lasts 20 minutes and we're exhausted, but worst of all the boys win. Well, the girls do have a good reason for losing - me. Putting me in goal was not a good idea as I can never catch anything.
Activities this afternoon are supposed to be basketball and indoor games but the children protest that we always end holiday care with a disco, so a disco it is. We have blind man's bluff, musical statues and so on, plus juice and crisps, a dance competition - and what YMCA disco would be complete without the now famous song by Village People? Everyone is on the dance floor singing along for a great end to the half-term. Good luck with Easter and summer holiday programmes. I hope you have as good a time as we do.
Written with the help of 'Y Kids' co-ordinator, Evelyn Balloch
