Many view below freezing temperatures, snow and ice as a frightening, inconvenient aspect to life in the Midwest. Not us! Here at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries, we’ve been known to specialize in creating fun while calming fears during frightening situations.
After several days in a row when the high temperatures were lower than the age of our oldest teenagers, our Site Director, Bill Atherton, pulled out his cordless drill and started checking the thickness of the lake’s ice in several places. Finding it to be 5” thick gave us the green light for FUN. (In case you’re wondering, 4” is deemed safe for skating; 5” is safe to drive an ATV.)
Some of the children and a few of our staff were a little scared at first. One Home Parent decided to use it as a lesson for his children, since falling through the ice is one of his biggest fears. He went out with everyone else, to show them it’s not just the kids who have to face their fears and learn to overcome them.
Many of our adults had just as much fun, or more, as the kids. Case Manager, Paige Brokaw, concludes:
The kids had a blast; from youngest to oldest, everyone enjoyed the ice in their own way! Some of them were very cautious at first, saying ‘I don’t want to fall in.’ Within moments, however, they were skating all over the place! The older boys really enjoyed playing what they termed ‘broom ball’ – basically like hockey but tamer, using brooms, a ball and beach chair goals. They were sliding, falling, and having a great time. Some of the kids took turns sitting in a sled and being pulled around by the adults. Really it was a wonderful experience, even if we were all frozen by the end of it. Many of them had never ice skated a day in their life, so it was an awesome opportunity for them!
