Printing t-shirts, making bird houses and face painting.
Exciting things my siblings and I always looked forward to in the half term. To us, having a week off school did not mean staying at home and doing work, but going to our local high street to have an amazing time at Weenies.
Each half term we stood in the long queue of parents and 3-10 year olds, waiting in anticipation to find out what we would be doing. We always started off with some dancing, and although I didn't enjoy dancing much, the cheerful ambience made me want to join in with the fun. This was often followed by a session with some volunteers from Explore Learning, so it was educational as well as enjoyable. Then came the most exciting bit: the arts and crafts. There was always something new to do, whether it was t-shirt printing, painting wind chimes or making Chinese dragons, it was always very amusing. On top of all this, you could even get your face painted during the session.
There were also several competitions that you could participate in, including dressing up for Halloween and colouring-in competitions.
The best thing is that all of this was completely free! All you had to do was get a membership (which was free) and you could go to any event, as long as you booked it in advance.
Unfortunately, this experience cannot be shared by others today as Weenies has permanently been closed and does not run anymore. Personally, I think Weenies should not have stopped because many young children living in Croydon are missing out on these amazing events, which not only allow them to have fun, but also teach them Maths and English along with some creative skills. It also enables them to socialise with others of a similar age and make new friends. They may have closed due to a shortage of money or a lack of volunteers, and if this is the reason then a small fee should be made for the activities, so that children can still enjoy their half terms.
When asked about Weenies, Adhithy Hari Baskar said "It was the highlight of my week when I was younger because you could make lots of cool things and I still have some of the things I made. I also had a chance to meet my friends there." The fact that a 14 year old said this shows how big an impact it has on children. She still remembers the fun she had from years ago and it would be great if others could also have this opportunity.
