DEMOPOLIS &8212; Since May 29, one of the most popular activities held at the U.S. Jones Recreation Center has been arts and crafts. Each morning, approximately 60 children pile into the recreation room where they make homemade coasters, key chains and other special crafts.

Emma Gibbs, an arts and crafts teacher at the center, has been working with arts and crafts for the last 30 years. She often goes to craft shows to get ideas for projects for the children.

Della Seabron has been assisting Gibbs with the arts and crafts all summer and has seen how much the participants have enjoyed the projects they do each week.

Seabron said that the peak times for arts and crafts are up until the week of July Fourth until the end of summer.

This year, the program has had an ongoing Spiderman theme, and their motto has been &8220;Get caught in our web of fun.&8221; A brightly colored bulletin board displays just a sampling of the projects the students will work on this summer.

Eleven-year-old Rosie Giles said her favorite project was making a wooden birdhouse because she learned to do something she didn&8217;t know how to do before.

Amari Ransom, 7, enjoyed working on his birdhouse, too, which he decorated with a butterfly, flowers and grass.

Eleven-year-old Briuana James said her favorite project was making a personalized tote bag, because she learned how to sew using a sewing machine.

Seabron said, &8220;Most of the kids who did the sewing had been here last year. The older kids, like above nine years old, really learned how to sew.&8221;

Caleb Washington, 10, also made a birdhouse, along with decorative signs for her room at home and a coaster with small tiles on it.

Eight-year-old Destiny Maye said her favorite project was making plastic bag holders. These are holders that you can keep to reuse plastic grocery bags.

Chelsea Jackson, 6, enjoyed coloring a wall hanger with flowers on it.

Ten-year-old Reggie Bush said that he enjoyed everything he has made at the arts and crafts program.

Other helpers with the arts and crafts programs are Mary Sewell, Danesha Martin, Vanicka Williams, Joshua Rowser and Justin Johnson.

This has been a fun summer,&8221; Seabron said. &8220;The kids have really been good this year.&8221;