A tradition that is renewed and which involves around fifty children and teenagers aged from 9 to 13. Let’s talk about “Summer kids”, the initiative that is organized every year in June by the Parish of San Francesco in Terni. Since last June 10th, every morning at 8, the group of children has met at the oratory adjacent to the basilica and from there the daily activities begin, involving 22 animators.
The boys are divided into teams, whose names recall the stars or constellations that inspired the pirates. There are six workshops: creativity, music and instruments, group dances, sketches in English, ‘entertainers tomorrow’ and theatre.
All activities that are carried out within the large spaces of the most famous oratory in Terni under the watchful eye of Don Piero Lalla, with Wednesdays seeing the kids move to the swimming pool in the Chico Mendes park for the whole day.
Every day the kids spend around 8 hours together characterized not only by games and many recreational and cultural activities, but also by lunch and the “final surprise” which can be ice cream or watermelon, Nutella, chips, popcorn and various drinks.
The groups move under the watchful eye of the animators and in particular that of Bianca and Federico. After the morning welcome with “Radio Pirata”, a ritual that kicks off the day through “radio” announcements managed by the animators and the first games of the morning, there follow moments of prayer and reflection on the theme of the camp: “The pirates of Tartatown”.
The groups then move to the theater below where the animators act out the story skits. There are also many games that take place in the “green field”. After lunch there is the so-called “free recreation” and the possibility of participating in table tennis, table football, volleyball and other tournaments. At 4pm there is the breaking of lines with the subsequent greetings and goodbye the next morning.
The idea of printing “doubloons” that the organizers give to the most deserving children to encourage and encourage participation in the various activities and initiatives, including the final lottery, is curious and original.
This will take place on Friday 28 June at the end of lunch, while in the evening at 9pm, all the children, the parish priests, the animators, parents and other relatives of the participants will take part in the final party which will take place in the open spaces of the oratory .
