Community Ed Urban Air trip provides adventure

About 50 area children in grades 2 to 6 took part in an all-day trip to “Urban Air Adventure Park” in Plymouth on Monday, Nov. 4. The trip was offered through NRHEG Community Education, and had participants away from home from about 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. Time at Urban Air was from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year was the second one the trip was offered during a November non-school day.

 

Community education had booked the entire park for the day; a lunch consisting of a beverage and two slices of pizza was included. Among the attractions at the park was a go-kart racetrack. Fourth-grader Asa Bethke named it as his favorite activity for the day. He said he enjoyed racing against his friends; part of the challenge was to drive across various targets on the track, allowing him to boost his speed.

 

Third-grader Kaila Johnson and her older sister Lauren both took part in the trip for the second time this year. “It was very good,” Kaila said of both trips. I always want to go back.” She said her favorite part of the trip was climbing the rock wall, and the “sky coaster,” a harness ride which sends participants zipping around the building at near-ceiling height. Kaila said it was difficult to choose a favorite, though, since there are three levels of activities. Another one she enjoyed was racing through the obstacle course with her friends.

 

Axel Schlaak, a fourth-grader, said he enjoyed playing dodge ball on the larger-than-room-sized trampolines. About 18 participants took sides and threw a ball at each other in the typical way, except that the trampolines allowed them to bounce high enough to catch balls which would otherwise have been out of reach. Taking dives to avoid being hit was also easier knowing he was on a trampoline.

 

Cruz Zapata, a fifth-grader, said he enjoyed dodge ball with his friends, and playing on the trampolines in general. He described one, the “gravity,” as being a sort of two-layered trampoline which allowed him to fly nearly his own height above the base. He also mentioned the chance to play basketball on trampolines.

 

The group of boys also enjoyed the “battle beam.” Based on their description, one “combatant” would walk out onto the bar from each end carrying a large foam pole. Each would try to knock the other off. The “loser” came to no harm because the area underneath the beam was filled with large foam blocks.

 

Asa’s mother Amanda Bethke was one of the chaperons on the trip. She said her job was made easier because she was supervising familiar children; she pointed out that, had there been children from other communities there, it might have been awkward to discipline children who were not part of her own group.

 

“Macy does a great job of planning these kinds of trips,” said Bethke regarding NRHEG Community Education director Macy Whiteside. “This was a great chance for groups of friends to be away from their electronics doing something fun together.”

 

Bethke commented her job was also made easier by the wide variety of activities which seemed to have something for everyone. She said the children tended to “run and do their own thing.”

 

She also mentioned that it was an opportunity for children to learn about themselves. She shared the example of one young participant who asked for help driving a go-kart because she had never driven anything before.

 

“I told her to go ahead and try. There were bumpers and safeguards.

 

“She was nervous, but she did it. Then she came back to me all smiles and said how much fun she had had.

 

“I think she drove the go-karts six or seven times after that.”

 

The elevated elements also caused trepidation for some, Bethke pointed out, but those who overcame their fears were doubly pleased when they finished.

 

“It was a very diverse group,” recalled Bethke.

 

She went on to say the children had a great time, with the only complication being the long bus ride to the facility and home again.

 

“If there are any investors out there,” she joked as she was interviewed, “I hope we can encourage them to build something like this much closer to our area.”