PEA RIDGE — As many as 45 youngsters from 6 to 15 years of age spend afternoons in the John and Maxine Watson Black Unit of the Boys and Girls Club in Pea Ridge in the gym at the Intermediate School.
Members of the advisory board and Gary and Eddie Black worked to transform the space making it more bright and colorful, director Elizabeth Cardenas said. “We have been wanting to transform the rooms that our children are usually in every day to create a space for them to enjoy more now that it is colorful!”
The after school program is from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday during the school year.
The children are served snacks upon arrival, then go to their designated areas for the week.
“We usually have them switch where they start every week,” Cardenas said. “They rotate areas every 30 minutes and participate in the planned activities provided by the staff.”
There is a game room with a pool table, ping pong table, foosball table, bumperpool table, carpetball table, two basketball hoop games, a wii and an xbox. There is also a “Tournament Central” stage area where there are board games, cornhole, an airhockey table, a jumbo connect four and jumbo jenga game.
“We have a gym where they can play with jump ropes, scooters, frisbees, noodles, soccer balls, basketballs, and footballs,” she said. “We have a STEAM room/Learning Center where they will be focusing on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.”
There is also a teen room specifically for youngsters ages 11 and older.
“The volunteers we had to help were so wonderful and generous with their time especially during their Christmas break,” Cardenas said. “They did such an amazing job! They were all working hard to get the painting done and it looks great!
“Thank you so much to our volunteers! I will forever be grateful for them,” she said.
The Boys and Girls Club offers a summer care program that meets from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Services are also offered during school holidays and remote learning days.