THE RECREATION READER Recreation for Individuals Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired - September 2011, Issue 29

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1 THE RECREATION READER Recreation for Individuals Who Are Blind and Visually Impaired - September 2011, Issue 29 Ten teens attended the 2011 session of Camp Independence in Wheeling. The week began with roller skating and creating name plaques for their dorm room doors. Other activities included cooking an international menu, hearing a speaker from Belgium, and viewing items from other countries. One fun day was spent at Kennywood Amusement Park in Pittsburgh and another at Oglebay Park. At the park, campers played mini-golf, rode in paddleboats and got to meet the mascot for the Nailers hockey team. They also made crockpot recipes for supper, along with S'mores and ghost stories as an evening event. One day the campers participated in an Amazing Camp Independence 2011 INDEX Camp Independence Summary Coloring Books...5 Fishing...6 Geocaching...4- Origami...5- Recipe (Mock Twix Bars)...3 Tennis...5

2 Race that took them to various parts of the dorm and campus. The activities were: 1. Identifying sounds from a Nemo soundbook (They used the Hands Down game to see which team got to guess the answer first). 2. One member of each team had to count to ten in Japanese. They were able to listen to a rap song mnemonic on the Victor Reader Stream or read a "story" that would help them learn the numbers. 3. They had to decipher a message written using the Moon Alphabet. There is a downloadable font at: literacy.org.uk/font.htm. Print it off in very large font size and then make it tactile. 4. Balance a book on their head across the room. 5. Fold origami paper cups (see page 5 of this newsletter) 6. Construct a bridge out of pasta that would hold the weight of 3 16-oz. cans and allow a can to roll across it and under it. (For some ideas concerning this, go to: web.mac. com/hotler/pasta/home_files/pasta%20bridge%packet.pdf) For more information on next summer's camp, contact Bob Hicks at (304) or bob@seeinghandassociation.com. Camp is for ages

3 Mock Twix Bars Crust: 16 Lorna Doone cookies (5 oz. pkg or larger) Filling: 14 oz. pkg. caramels 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk ½ cup butter, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 6 Hershey chocolate candy bars (Or chocolate chips) 1. Melt caramels and milk in microwave. Stir well. 2. Blend together powdered sugar and butter. 3. Add to caramel mixture and beat well. 4. Spread over Lorna Doone cookies laid out in 8x8 cake pan. 5. While still hot, top with candy bars or chocolate chips. Spread them evenly once melted. 6. Cool. Cut into small pieces--very rich!

4 GEOCACHING Sheila Amato gave an interesting workshop session about Geocaching at the WV AER Conference. She describes it as a sport where you "Go to the woods and look for Tupperware." Actually it's where folks get online at and look up the location of various "caches," by zip code, that have been hidden by others. (You must register on the site, but it is free.) You use a GPS device to locate the cache (You can use your phone with GPS; doesn't work well on cloudy days.) They are everywhere. The ones that are rated Level 1 (highlighted in green) are the easiest terrain and must be wheelchair accessible, too. It is best to have children begin with Level 1 so that they are successful with their initial searches. Once you find the cache, you sign the log that's contained inside. There can also be an object inside that you can take and replace something that you bring along. (Use small trinkets or other items of "dubious value" for kids to find; i.e. rings. balls, etc. Sheila had "coins" made with braille on them.) Letterboxing is another form--using clues instead of GPS. Sheila gave some examples of how she uses this with students. It helps them learn latitude and longitude, which helps them relate to locations better. On the left are containers people have hidden caches in.

5 Folded paper cups ACTIVITIES Origami for the Visually Impaired ( allmodelstogetherfs1.txt) With a little practice, origami is something that can be done by the blind or visually impaired. One of the trickiest parts, however, is following directions. This website, developed by a person who is blind, has the directions for several objects written solely with words; not relying on pictures like most directions do. There are about 20 different projects to make. At Camp Independence this past summer we did an activity where teams made origami paper cups and then they had to carry water in the cups to fill up containers. (See above photos) Coloring Books ( The National Braille Factory has several braille coloring books (raised lines, tactile books) for sale. The books are $6 apiece, but at least 5 must be ordered at a time. The pictures are usually common household objects, animals, food, etc. Tennis Instructions ( This website offers a method to teach visually impaired individuals how to play tennis (without using a ball or opposing player). They get a workout, just like in a real game.

6 FISHING COMPETITION The second annual Lions' Club VIP Fishing Tournament will be held at Stonewall Jackson Lake on Saturday, October 1. There are 2 divisions of the competition: one for those over 18 and one for youth under 18. Prizes are awarded for each category. For more information, contact one of the following individuals: Carol or Frank McGhee: Trish Glennon: Although there is a fee to participate, this can be paid by the state Lions' Clubs. Judy Hurst Marion County Board of Ed 200 Gaston Ave. Fairmont WV Camp Independence exploring APH materials.