On February 26, Flowers for Algernon (FFA) held our first event of 2025 at the Special Education School of Changshu. We had 48 vibrant kids join us in a session focused on doing the laundries. Our activity isn’t just about having fun—it’s about helping the children develop practical skills that can make their daily lives easier and more independent. By teaching them how to sort and fold clothes, we’re showing them how to recognize different types of garments and understand why keeping things organized matters. These basic skills, like knowing how to take care of their belongings, are small steps toward greater independence. They give the children more control over their routines and help them feel capable and confident in managing everyday tasks.

Record of Activities

As FFA members and UWCCSC volunteers entered the classroom, we were greeted by enthusiastic cheers of “Ni-hao!” “Gege-hao!” “Jiejie-hao!” from the rows of kids at their desks. Throughout this session, kids eagerly raised their hands to respond to the young FFA teachers under a lively classroom atmosphere; kids also gained a hands-on experience simulating the process of laundry sorting and folding whilst building connections with FFA members.

To start off, our two young teacher, Isa and Joy, introduced themselves to the kids, and the kids joyfully repeated “Xiao Lu!” (Isa) and “Xiao Xie!” (Joy) back to us when we asked whether they remembered. A little boy sitting in the front row asked the two teachers “What are you here to do? Are you guys our friends?”, to which the teachers happily responded “Yup!”. Afterwards, the mic was passed around the classroom as the kids, too, announced their names.

As the lesson officially began, we introduced three different types of clothes to the kids, which includes shirt, pants and socks. Joy and Isa pointed at the clothes they were wearing and asked the kids: “ What is this?”. The kids looked at them with curiosity and eagerness to respond. Several hands shot up in the air, and without hesitation, the answers followed up: “ Shirt!”” T-shirt!”” Pants!” “ Purple shorts!” “Socks!”… each came with confidence. Each attempt was met by celebration and cheers from the young teachers. Isa smiled brightly and said: “Who want stickers?” The young teachers then moved up and down the aisles, high-fiving and handing out stickers to everyone who answered their questions.

“Let’s play a…gAmE!!” Joy and Isa announced in excitement. To get the kids up and moving and strengthen their skill to sort clothes, we set up a simulation activity designed by the FFA teachers. The kids were required to complete a “sorting relay” —— lining up, picking up a piece of clothing from a pile, then dropping it into one of the three boxes labeled “shirts” “pants” or “socks” one by one. During a demonstration of the game performed by many FFA members and volunteers, they were supported by chants from the kids telling them where to put the pieces of clothes, the sounds of “Shirt!” “Pant!” and “Socks!” echoing in the classroom. Afterwards, the kids were divided up to carry out the game in smaller groups.

After ensuring that the kids could accurately identify and sort the 3 types of clothes, the lesson progressed into clothes folding. The kids gathered at the front of the classroom, forming a semicircle on the podium. Isa sat in the center and to provide a concise step-by-step demonstrations on how to fold shirts, pants and socks. For example, for shirts, the first step was to “go to middle”; next, to “fold in half”; and lastly, its “complete!” as a rectangle. Under the guidance of FFA members, but also with the support from their peers, all students folded their clothes into a neat pile.

Summary and Reflection

In conclusion, this vibrant and interactive session held by FFA not only ensured the students could do their laundries through the skills of clothing identification, sorting and folding, but also acted as an opportunity to foster confidence, interpersonal skills, teamwork, and hands-on abilities. We hope that the ski lls we taught would accompany the kids as they grow up, supporting them as they navigate through independent roles they could take as a young adult. In the future, FFA aims to provide more impactful lessons to kids, teaching them life-skills whilst fostering meaningful connections between FFA and kids with special needs and ensuring an enjoyable experience each time.

Author: Isa 卢诗然 & Joy 谢佳凝 & Tomas Cadavid Lopez
Editor：April 杨佳炘
Photographer: Lili

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