Bouncing into Summer with Thursday Youth Night

The sun is peeking out from the clouds, and like the yellow dandelion blossoms that line the front lawn of the Finland Community Center, the kids at Youth Night are eager to play outside.

Laughter and screeching tennis shoes rule the air on Thursdays. Colorful plastic cups covered in stickers and scribbled names can be found all over. Though they are often empty, they are relics of a full night. With an updated fleet of colorful LED lite tricycles, the gym area has been lit up with words like, “Wow! It glows!” and… “Wook at the kowas!” (“kowas” is a 5 year old’s interpretation of the word, “colors”.)

Like Times Square on the fourth of July, Heather delivered an epic grand finale snack display before passing the, “snack person” baton back to Sheryl for the season. Our teenage staff employees Ryan and Layla seem evenly matched when put on opposing sides of the dodge ball line. When the yellow, red, blue and purple balls start flying, there is no telling who will win.

Ryan continues to do an excellent job leading our group games at the end of Youth Night. His gentle yet stern leadership when choosing games seems tactful and consistently encourages group unity among the kids.

In addition, Layla has displayed incredible skills at the outdoor playground game, “mouse trap.” Her responsible, detail-oriented attitude has proven to be an invaluable addition to our team. After we recently added 3 new large yellow bouncing balls with pizza sized smiley faces on them, many of our adult staff echoed, “We had those when I was a kid!” Surprisingly, these large plastic spheres have stayed relevant through the ages and continue to spark interest and joy for generation after generation. Like the ancient proverb illuminates, “Bounce once and you will bounce for a lifetime, to bounce is to know.”

Thank you for your continued support. We appreciate all those who help make this program a reality and elevate a strong community of healthy kids. May the bounce be with you.

Sincerely,

Youth Night Staff