• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Momma 'N Manila

Growing through parenting

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Nourish
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Cheers
    • Guest Recipes
  • Advocate
    • Autism
    • Best Buddies
    • Down Syndrome
    • Special Needs
  • Gather
    • Crafternoons
    • Entertaining at Home
    • Events
    • Mothers Who Brunch
    • DIY
  • Review
    • 4 KIDS
    • Dining
    • Travel
    • Home & Hearth
    • Health & Beauty
    • Giveaways
    • Fashion
  • Nurture
    • Education
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Yoga
  • MWB

4 KIDS Review

Diego’s Challenge Island Birthday Party

I love planning my kids’ birthday parties. I love finding new ways to celebrate each of my children that fit their personalities and their interests.

Diego is my athletic boy who is always on the go. He’s a fierce competitor and he is strong willed. He can move his body in a way that is graceful, athletic, and powerful. I like watching him compete (except when someone is trying to hurt him, like in taekwondo) because I can see his heart burst from his chest when he has prevailed. 

I remember this one time that his Tita Dee was here visiting from NY. And at that time, Diego was into running and track because of the grass roots program  at his school. He had enrolled in track and field with one of his other friends and he was always telling me that he wanted to beat this one guy because he knew in his heart that he could…even if this guy was a bit older and a lot bigger. 

Through conversation he learned that his Tita Dee was a cross country runner when she was in high school. She competed at the varsity level and still enjoys running  and yoga as a form of exercise. Because he just learned this (and truth be told I think he thought Tita Dee was still a teenager and he could compete with her) he challenged her to a race. This couldn’t be just any race…it had to be on the track, at his school, with a proper start and finish…

His competitive side definitely came out…even if it meant that he was challenging his Tita to a 100 meter dash.

The other side of Diego is that he is very creative. He sees things and wants to replicate them. Sometimes, he replicates them by building things out of paper and scotch tape. Sometimes, he builds them with Legos, and sometimes he uses old boxes, spray paint and duct tape. 

CI Complete Logo

So, this is why the perfect birthday celebration for my son this year was Challenge Island. I first learned about Challenge Island when I went to the press launch for Engineering for Kids. Engineering for Kids was brought here to Manila by the SMILE group and they have an affinity for all things education. (so naturally, I have an affinity for them.) 

Truth: When I brought Diego to the launch, he asked me two questions. 

1. “Mom, can you enroll me in this?”

2. “Mom, can we have my birthday party like this?”

Of course, I said yes to both.

Both Engineering for Kids and Challenge Island integrate STEM education, learning, and FUN.

YES….LEARNING CAN BE FUN!

The teachers and staff of the Challenge Island team were helpful in explaining and setting up for the party.

The teachers and staff of the Challenge Island team were helpful in explaining and setting up for the party.

As a teacher, I know the value in the lightbulb moments, the importance of trial and error, and the excitement that comes from using your imagination to solve a problem/challenge that you are faced with. It’s even more exciting when you solve that problem with the help of your friends/teammates. 

The Challenge Island Staff was super easy to coordinate with. While I had an idea in my head of what to expect, I wasn’t totally sure, so I asked a lot of questions. (LIKE A LOT) I was coordinating with Luna of the SMILE group and we discussed what kind of activities the kids would be participating in and what I should ask each guest to prepare. 

IMG_3562

The stage is set and the torches are ready to be lit!

Confession: I was totally unprepared for this party. I have been so busy having fun and planning events with my blogger friends that I really had not time put together a really well thought out loot bag for the party. In fact, when my friend Fannie asked if I needed any help, I pounced on the opportunity to ask her to help me make t-shirts for Diego’s guests.

Thank you Fannie for looking after Diego's guests by having these souvenir tshirts made! They were perfect!

Thank you Fannie for looking after Diego’s guests by having these souvenir tshirts made! They were perfect!

From my conversations with Luna, I understood that the kids would need to be grouped into teams. I had a tentative team list in my head, and then I estimated the sizes of the shirts to be made for each team color. Fannie and I coordinated the team colors with sizing, names of kids, and the logo that Challenge Island provided for me, so that we could have t-shirts made for each guest, so the t-shirts would serve as the give away and loot bag all in one. 

Fannie’s sis Arlene is also a good friend of ours. She is a photographer, and a good one at that. I have often asked her for advice, and together-we are also trying to come up with a smart phone photography workshop for people who would like to learn how to shoot better photos with their phone. Arlene was able to ask her friend Gilbert to cover the birthday party so that we would have awesome photos of this super memorable celebration.

IMG_3544 copy

All that was left for me to prepare for the festivities was make sure we had cake and candles for Diego to blow. I wanted something simple. I didn’t want to go over my budget, but I wanted to enjoy the cake as well. Anna and Raymond of Pink Wasabi came up with a very simple cake incorporating the logo what I had sent them. They altered the logo just a bit so that it would be seamless in its greeting for Diego. It came out perfect, AND I was happy we had leftovers afterwards. Anna also gifted Diego’s friends some yummy red velvet and chocolate cake pops for them to take home as well.

This party was different for Diego than parties I have thrown him in the past. I have always gone a bit overboard with my DIY parties in the past because I end up sending the kids home with a ton of goodies and loot bags filled to the brim. This party was different because I really wanted the focus of the party to be the experience and CHALLENGE of Challenge Island. 

Luna said that I didn’t even have to have t-shirts made, because they provide all the teams with bandanas, but that if I did have time to make some tees, it would be a nice touch. She was correct of course.

It was raining about 2 hours before the party...as in DOWNPOUR. Adrian from Palms was reassuring me that it would stop before our festivities started...and sure enough...it did. AMEN!

It was raining about 2 hours before the party…as in DOWNPOUR. Adrian from Palms was reassuring me that it would stop before our festivities started…and sure enough…it did. AMEN!

For the venue of this awesome party, I was afraid of rain. I was thinking that one of the parks inside the village would be all I needed to make things super fun for this celebration, but then I realized I would have to pack picnic snacks for every guest, with very limited time. It was an easy decision to make to move the venue to Palms Country Club because I knew I was short on time, energy, and man power.

One thing I have realized (albeit in maybe a painful way prior to this birthday party) is that sometimes I can’t always manage my DIY projects. This was one of those cases where I needed to make it easy on myself so that my son could have a good time and not have a stressed out momma during the party. 

Dealing with Palms is always so easy. Because our guest list was only about 20 kids I was able to coordinate with ease about the menu, the outdoor venue of The Pool Bar and I focused on everything that Diego liked…right down to the choices of food. He requested, pizza, french fries and chicken. I added lasagna and carbonara to the menus so that the meal would be a little more filling for everyone who attended.

Rules are simple.

Rules are simple.

Our Challenge Island Celebration started with everyone breaking up into the teams that I had chosen for them. I was mindful to put at least one older kid (or momma) on each team to help manage the kids. Each of the four teams also had a “teacher” but the kids decided between themselves who could fill the position of “leader.”

After each team selected a leader, the leader would light their Team Torch to begin the games!

After each team selected a leader, the leader would light their Team Torch to begin the games!

They learned each team chant, and some even altered the chant/cheer to fit what they liked. Each team lit there Team Torch and made way for the next team to introduce themselves, their chant, and their style of competing.

Green Team Chant was basically....ME chanting....hahahahahaha....

Green Team Chant was basically….ME chanting….hahahahahaha….

After each team lit their torch, was introduced and performed their chant, we were set off on our own to a little healthy competition.

Screen Shot 2015-06-17 at 8.44.07 AM

The first task at hand for all the teams was landing “copters” on our target. We would fold our paper into copters to land within a designated space, but not without staying behind a designated line. It wasn’t easy! You had to make sure that your copters were folded properly, AND figure out a way to toss them in the air taking into account the wind and any other factors that would affect the landing. Teachers kept score and of course there was a winner declared after this first round of competition. 

 

Gelli enjoyed the chanting part of our party. She flittered from team to team to see what everyone was doing.

Gelli enjoyed the chanting part of our party. She flittered from team to team to see what everyone was doing.

What were the strategies to take note of in this activity?

  • Participants were handed the paper copters with directions on how to cut and fold each copter.
  • If paper copter was not folded correctly, it wouldn’t fly the right way.
  • Copters had to be thrown from behind the line and could only be collected after ALL the copters were already released.
  • Some of the teams decided to fold ALL their copters and others only folded one per team player. This could hinder the number of landed copters if not done the right way.
  • Participants also had to take into consideration the flow and direction of the wind! 

Screen Shot 2015-06-17 at 8.59.34 AM

After landing our copters, we moved on to building catapults. This was something my son was looking forward to, because he really enjoyed himself during this activity when we went to the launch.

IMG_0982copy

Each team had to build their own catapults from popsicle sticks, rubber bands, large binder clips and a plastic spoon. Every team member had their own catapult, and every team member had to contribute in making the ammunition from clay. We were timed for assembly and testing, so we had to build the best catapult we could, make our ammunition, and get in some practice shots before we were told it was time to compete.

IMG_3659

The lid to our treasure chest of supplies became our target. We had to get as many clay balls as we could into our target. The number of balls would be added to the number of copter landings we had earlier. 

IMG_3674 copy

The kids had to figure out how the weight of each projectile would affect their chances of getting it into the target. This was definitely the more difficult activity and it made it even more challenging because we were timed.

 

What were the strategies to take note of in this activity? 

  • Participants had to build a strong catapult with the materials given. We were guided but not spoon fed. Kids had to figure out for themselves how many times to wrap the rubber bands to get the right amount of resistance.
  • Participants were given a weighted amount of clay. It was up to them to observe differences in practice shots if clay ball was heavier and bigger or smaller. Which would work more effectively?
  • The biggest challenge was not only staying behind the line where the kids were supposed to shoot their catapults from, but it was also in the fact that once a clay ball was shot-it could NOT be picked up again…so each try was effort lost if you didn’t make it into the lid of your treasure chest.
Team work is a must for this activity. The Purple Jeffs definitely carved out their OWN name for themselves...but they had fun doing it too!

Team work is a must for this activity. The Purple Jeffs definitely carved out their OWN name for themselves…but they had fun doing it too!

After both activities were finished, and the scores were tallied, all the teachers added up the scores from our Copter Challenge and our Catapult Challenge. The team with the most points would be crowned Challenge Island Champions.

THE CHAMPIONS

GOOD JOB Team Blue for bringing it home!

GOOD JOB Team Blue for bringing it home!

AND HOW COOL IS IT THAT DIEGO’S BLUE TEAM WON???

Screen Shot 2015-06-17 at 9.11.45 AM

Ok…aside from teamwork, cooperation, and good clean fun, there are a plethora of skills that reinforced for the kids while they are participating in these challenges. (Sorry…this is teacher talk now 🙂

The kids will reinforce their understanding to Identify the problem, brainstorm a solution, build, test, improve, retest, and share the results of each challenge. The kids learn to think critically, they use their imagination and creativity, while reinforcing social skills and thinking outside the box. 

IMG_1107copy

L-R: Teachers Lalie, Maggie, Lei, Tat, and Kim all helped make Diego’s 10th Birthday Celebration something he will remember forever. 

Even the motto:  OUTTHINK, OUTSMART, OUTPLAY screams the fun that the kids will have when attending an activity like this. 

IMG_3536 copy

Thank you Jenny, Luna, Cecille, and of course Icel from The Smile Group for making Diego’s birthday celebration so easy and stress free.

 

A Challenge Island Birthday Party to celebrate his double digits was exactly what this teacher momma had in mind for this year’s festivities. It was fun. It was exciting. It was playful and educational. And for Diego…it was memorable. As a momma, I know, that it’s all about the memories.

If you would like to know more about Challenge Island for your corporate, family, school, and birthday celebrations, please look for Tonette Solano of the Smile Group

https://instagram.com/efkph/

02-975-4867

02-734-4876

0917-551-8705

info@smilegroup.org.in

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related


« Grace Home
Shorts Gourmet Dinner with Chef Fara »

Comments

  1. Peter A. Ressa says

    June 18, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    great idea for a birthday party!

  2. Sharon Estroff says

    June 19, 2015 at 10:09 am

    This looks like a great time! So proud of our Challenge Island Brothers and Sisters in Manila! – Sharon Duke Estroff, Challenge Island Founder

    • michelle says

      June 19, 2015 at 3:25 pm

      Wow! Thanks for stopping by Sharon! AND thanks for coming up with such a wonderful program!

  3. Fannie says

    October 16, 2015 at 8:08 pm

    Your welcome kumars…I’m game anytime!

Hello and Welcome!


Hi! Here is where I share my thoughts on yoga, cooking, crafting, raising a special child, exploring, eating, playing, and living in Manila.
READ MORE

You can also say hi or email me at mish@mommanmanila.com

Twitter

Tweets by @mishaventajado

Pinterest

Recent Posts

  • LUMOS RAY Projector Review
  • A Grapeful Summer with Taste Australia
  • Suite Treat Mommy Weekend at Marco Polo Manila
  • Weekend Grills at the Bay City Café
  • Netflix Updates and ECQ Season 3.0

Archives

Categories

Recent Comments

  • michelle on LUMOS RAY Projector Review
  • Angelie G. Y. Melsbo on LUMOS RAY Projector Review
  • Peter A. Ressa on Inay Ko Po
  • michelle on 4 Ways to Cope with Enhanced Community Quarantine
  • Marycor Valencia on 4 Ways to Cope with Enhanced Community Quarantine

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @mommanmanila

mommanmanila

We were a little early for therapy this morning, s We were a little early for therapy this morning, so @gelliaventajado got to spend a little time with @grace_loedin!

@thevanguardacademyph is still open for enrollment in their summer program, and has a full staff for all therapies and interventions. We really love her school and all of the faculty and staff. It makes a huge difference when you have confidence in the people you leave your child with for learning!
Whipped Feta #Recipe up on @kitchen143 over @rappl Whipped Feta #Recipe up on @kitchen143 over @rappler now!

Link in my profile!

https://www.rappler.com/nation/kitchen-143-dreaming-greece-try-making-easy-whipped-feta-dip/
Thinking about the day I got off the plane in LaGu Thinking about the day I got off the plane in LaGuardia, was picked up by one of my dearest friends and spent the entire day at the beach just catching up on LIFE.

It was a breezy day. Overcast. A little chilly to be in a suit, but it was perfect to catch up with my girl Candy. Sometimes, if you have chosen your friends well, you can pick up where you left off, as if no time has passed at all. 

Just like I did, sitting in that beach chair, feeling the mist of the Atlantic Ocean, and watching the seagulls pick and the seaweed.

Thank you Candy! For the friendship, for dropping everything to come and pick me up. Drive me around and have dinner with me and Fayth. 

Wishing I was sitting on this beach with you right now!!!
Eggs Benny with BBQ Pulled Pork was just one of ma Eggs Benny with BBQ Pulled Pork was just one of many dishes that we enjoyed during #SundayBrunch at Waterside in @solaireresort .

From cornbread, to mom’s potato salad, melt in your mouth whisky cured short ribs, homemade sausages and more. This #BrunchBuffet had @manila.gent and I rolling each other out the door!

Hard to choose which was our favorite from the feast that was set before us!

Brunch is inclusive of some delicious drinks, some Southern smoked and BBQ Fare, and a most colorful sweet dessert buffet by way of Milkshake Bar!
Movie Night at home with the big screen made easy Movie Night at home with the big screen made easy by @lumosprojector_ph!

Summer Lovin’ ain’t over for #TeamGellibean. Hop on over to www.mommanmanila.com to read my full review on how easy this #homeprojector is to use when you want to watch your favorite family film!!

Gelli and I have watched Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Grease, and BTS Videos. Up next? The Sound of Music! 

Want to have your own #LUMOSRAYProjectoe delivered to your home? Stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway, too!

Link in my profile!

https://www.mommanmanila.com/lumos-ray-projector-review/
Missing my @migaventajado The short time I had w Missing my @migaventajado 

The short time I had with this guy in Florida was definitely something I will look back on. Wish we had more time to explore and do some fun things on our own.

Gah. How is this kid 20 years old already?
I remember when he was little and he loved peanut butter, chicken nuggets, Kylie Minogue, and sitting on my lap. He was squishy, in tune with my feelings, and I was always worried that he might have an asthma attack in his sleep so I would nebulize him every few hours. He always looked at new experiences with gratitude and wonder, much how he did while we were in FL together.😍

Praying he continues to strengthen his faith as he grows. 🙏🏻👨🏻🙌🏻

Miss you Miggy!
I’ll be sharing a little bit about my faith toda I’ll be sharing a little bit about my faith today with some university students. 

I have shared my testimony with other mommas, women in our community, and parents through this platform and others. It’s always come naturally and has often ended in tears of gratitude and joy for His faithfulness and unending LOVE. 

Of course, sharing parts of myself with others who may find it helpful is a privilege. But for some reason, I am always just a little bit anxious and apprehensive right before I am about to present parts of my story.

Perhaps today, I’m anxious because the format for how I will share is a bit different, I won’t have the comforts I have gotten used to since working from home. Instead I’ll print some cue cards for myself so I can stay on task and within my given time period. 

I love the opportunity this endeavor has given me, to reflect on His presence in my life. He’s been there all along, even if I didn’t know it. I love the understanding that I can have these intimate conversations with my Creator knowing that He has plans for me. He loves me. He knows all the hairs on my head. And that He knows what I need to fulfill my purpose.

This doesn’t mean I won’t have challenges, or times when I feel broken in my life and faith. In fact, there have been many times where my faith has faltered. All of it just means that He is fortifying me through each and every lesson. He is allowing me to create a greater understanding of who I am, where I am supposed to be, and how He will get me there.

Do you share parts of your faith here?
What does that look like?

#ThoughtfulThursday #faith #thoughtful 
#sharingiscaring
Brunch feels with beautiful ingredients. Tous Les Brunch feels with beautiful ingredients.

Tous Les Jours Toasted Ciabatta with toppings for everyone.

Exhibit A: Miso Peanut Butter Chickpea Salad with grated hard boiled eggs and fried onion strips
Exhibit B: Herbed Cream Cheese with Avocados and Everything But The Bagel seasoning
Exhibit C: Whipped Peanut Butter with Raspberry Merlot Peppercorn Jam and fresh berries

Thankfully, I was able to have a bite of each one. I cannot choose. Which one would you call dibs on?

A  B  or C?
If you love #Brunch and seafood the way I do, then If you love #Brunch and seafood the way I do, then this Seafood Tower @jonesalldayph will tempt your tummy and make your tastebuds sing. 🎶

You’re welcome! 🤗
Such a fun evening with @elle.frazzetta and @arlug Such a fun evening with @elle.frazzetta and @arlugomez. 

Catch up convo while introducing two dear friends was so@etching to break up my time in the city. It was made even more fun because I got to catch a bit of the Summer Concert Series at #HudsonYards.

Definitely not enough time with these two!!!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Blog Design by Fancy Girl Design Studio

Copyright © 2022 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...