It’s almost that time again ~ Back to School for the kids! This is an exciting time of year for everyone but it can also be kind of an awkward one at the Child Care Center. New kids to school may feel anxious or apprehensive – not knowing what to expect or how to act. Old friends may stick together with those they already know to make themselves comfortable. Meanwhile, Staff may be feeling a bit rusty after coming back to work from a few months off. This is the time when Icebreaker Games and Activities are at their most essential. They will help loosen everyone up a bit, make them smile, and help break out of their shells and get to know one another. Here a few ideas to help get things started: Continue reading “Back to School: Icebreaker Games & Activities”
Category: After School Activities
Pond Life Club
Recommended Ages: 5-7
Do you remember spending time at the pond when you were young (or something that resembled a pond)? I can recall observing the tadpoles and getting bit by mosquitoes — yikes! But I always had a ball!
Here are several ideas for hosting a Pond Life Club with your kids!
After School Clubs for Tweens
You know the kids I mean. These are kids who have been at the program the longest. They’ve seen every craft, heard every attention getter, and played every game. Not only has it become repetitive to them but sometimes they feel they are too old for these activities. Often times they may feel like they don’t belong anymore. Boredom and apathy lead to discipline problems. So how do you reach out to these students? They’re not quite pre-teens but they are also not little kids anymore either. They are tweens (at my school this is the 5th and 6th grade group). Here are some tips and strategies for planning After School Activities and Clubs that will be entertaining and interesting to Tweens.
Honored to have received a Sunshine Award
Whether it be from friends and family in my life or the precious young ones I work with each day I have been truly blessed with sunshine in my life. It truly brightened my day when I learned that I received a Beautiful Sunshine Award from Jill over at http://frugalplus.com. Thanks you for brightening my day, I am honored!
Here are the rules for the Sunshine Award:
- Nominate 12 other bloggers
- List the award in either a post or on your sidebar
- Link your nominees within your post
- Let the nominees know you have passed this on to them by commenting on their blog
Passing the Sunshine along to 12 bloggers I love to read (in alphabetical order). You are all fabulous!
Hugs,
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Non-food based rewards/incentives
Positive reinforcement can be very powerful in the childcare setting and often one group reward that is commonly thought of is food. Earning sweets such as cake, ice cream or candy or possibly a pizza party can be a big motivator for children and can be a fairly easy or obvious choice. But relying primarily on food based reward systems is not a good idea for a variety of reasons. Continue reading “Non-food based rewards/incentives”
Cooking Club In After School Setting
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Cooking Club is a very popular after school club choice. Let’s be frank, if eating food is involved children will suddenly become more interested! But Cooking Club is a choice, not without its complications such as:
1) Many child care centers have limited kitchen access or only have access to a microwave/refrigerator which makes it difficult to “cook” any food.
2) Safety can become a concern with hot surfaces & knives. Using plastic utensils and active supervision is crucial
3) Cooking Club can easily become junk food club. Try to balance by offering a good mix of treats and healthy options! Continue reading “Cooking Club In After School Setting”
