At the end of the junior sailing program we have a lunch for the sailors from all the classes. We play crazy games and have pizza and ice-cream for lunch. Then I present the "silly awards". These are wacky prizes - mainly bought at the dollar store - that celebrate something unusual or humorous that happened to each individual sailor during the program.
Here are a few examples....
For the little 7-year-old boy who was so quiet in classes I could hardly hear him - a noisemaker. (In hindsight it was a mistake to give out this award first.)
For the kid who forgot to wear shoes to class in spite of our strict rule about wearing closed toe shoes - a pair of stripy bedroom slippers (with closed toes of course).
For the high school freshman who was a good sport in spite of really being too big for an Optimist - a ribbon saying "I'm a Big Boy".
For the girl whose mother was often late coming to collect her so she had to borrow my cell phone to call her Mum - a toy cell phone.
For the girl who complained to me that someone had spilt ice cream on her boat cover - a scrub buddy so she can clean her cover.
For the girl who got her long hair caught in the boom bridle one day - a pair of scissors for an emergency haircut.
For the girl whose parents' boat ran out of gas while bringing her to class - directions to the local marina.
For the boy who use to sing annoying songs all the time he sailed - a ribbon saying "Singing Star".
For the girl who freaked out one day when she found a spider in her boat while racing - a plastic spider.
For one of the boys who had to be told how to go to the bathroom in between races of a regatta - a Potty Training Award.
Somehow I found a different way to humiliate every one of the 40 kids. For some reason that I don't understand, later in the afternoon they all filled buckets of water and soaked me while I was sitting in a chair outside the club. I'll miss them.
2 comments:
Those are some really good ideas. Also, check out this book of funny certificates for another great source for funny teacher awards. Although the book wasn't written for students, many of the awards could apply to kids. There are dozens where you could change a word or two to make them applicable to students. Visit www.funnyemployeeawards.com
I have done this for a few years for my kids that I coach on the HS rugby team. I've tried to do it with some adult things, like the Hood-to-Coast relay. One year, my friend Clarence and I did it with a group that did a relay in Boise. One guy's award was a gold lame thong, owing to some comments his wife had made, coupled with his innate modesty. It was funny. But I can barely remember why we got it for him now because the more interesting story is Clarence and I going to buy a gold lame thong at Sears in Boise, Idaho. The two clerks, one male, one female, both young and sorta Mormon looking gave us the most uncomfortable look. I couldn't resist.
I said, "It's not for us."
Long pause. "It's a gift."
Clarence sputters, "Like THAT makes it any better."
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