Children's Centre University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

Art Classes
Art helps children develop in imagination, creativity and self-expression. Vacation program have featured art activities for both juniors and seniors. Children have learned to create hand puppets and marionettes, fabric and paper collage, tie-dye, batik, papier mache, macrame, quilts, prints, and gifts. Crafts recently introduced have included postermaking (pictured here) and stitch-n-stuff (introduced by UWA patron Mrs. Ify Nebo. Artwork has often been displayed in the library or exhibited during the vacation program show.

Cookery
Cookery classes have been a very popular activity, with attention divided between baking and Nigerian and international cooking. Taking advantage of the diversity of the university community, children have learned to prepare Nigerian, Kenyan, Jamaican, Indian, Polish, Irish and French dishes. The 1986 program produced a recipe book, which was expanded and reprinted in 2003 for the 25th Anniversary. In recent cookery classes children have learned to prepare cake, meat pie and fish roll.

Science and Life Skills
A number of Children's Centre activities have focused on science and practical skills for everyday life. Vacation activities such as Let's Find Out focused on learning how to learn. Fun with Facts and Figures encouraged young children to enjoy science through games and simple experiments. Other activities have emphasized practical skills such as repairing an electric plug or bicycle tire. Specific areas of interest include health education and first aid, car maintenance, farming, safety. An addition to recent vacation programs has been the teaching of computer skills, carried out by volunteers or laboratory staff from the Department of Library and Information Science. A fully equipped laboratory in the Children's Centre would facilitate acquisition of the requisite science and computer skills needed in today's world.

Sewing Classes
In sewing classes participants learn how to cut out and sew simple dresses and two-piece outfits and acquire skills in knitting, crotchet, and needlework. Here Mrs. Ify Nebo teaches girls how to crochet the ends of hand towels during the 2006 Easter vacation program.

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