Jean Marie River (Aug 07/06) - For those with a creative urge, the community gym in Jean Marie River has been the place to be.

Every weekday afternoon, the band is offering arts and crafts activities for youth.

Kyla Norwegian works away slowly but steadily on a piece of cross-stitch during the arts and crafts program in Jean Marie River. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

In the gym, young people cluster around a group of tables covered with supplies. There are boxes of crayons and pencil crayons scattered around, along with beads and partially unravelled skeins of brightly coloured embroidery floss.

The program is popular, said Myra Sanguez, who supervises the youth along with Carla Norwegian. For the first week, there were between nine to 10 children out everyday.

Activity selection is mainly based on what the youth want to do, Sanguez said.

So far, crafts have included cross-stitch, dream catchers, beading and activity books. Youth also decorated T-shirts and baseball caps with acrylic paint.

\The end products are being proudly displayed on the wall of the gym.

This week, participants can look forward to making stained glass using wax paper.

Despite the wide array of activities to choose from, colouring tops the list of favourite things for many of the youth.

Colouring is the best part, said Alison Sanguez, as she shaded in a picture of Flounder the fish from The Little Mermaid with a cream body and blue fins.

Sanguez, 9, comes to the program almost daily.

"I just like colouring," she said.

Without the program, Sanguez said she would be playing outside, but it wouldn't be as much fun.

Sitting beside her, Leanna Sanguez sports a two-toned purple friendship bracelet around her wrist that she made during the program. Her favourite activity is sketching, particularly eagles.

At the far end of the table, Kyla Norwegian, 10, has opted for something different. She is cross-stitching a heart with her name in the centre. It's her first try at the craft.

The activity she liked best, however, was creating the dream catchers.

Norwegian made hers with sinew and gold beads. It was hard work to make the pattern in the dream catcher look right, she said.

Norwegian comes to the program every day and isn't sure what she'd do instead if it wasn't offered.

"I'd just be bored," Norwegian said.