Lego Club

Posted on by Marie

lego-man-md

Ahh… Legos. Children love legos! Hosting a Lego Club can be a win-win situation for children, staff, and parents alike. They bust boredom, keep children engaged, encourage imagination, and reinforce tactile and building skills. The activity possibilities are endless. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1) Lego Quest – This was an awesome Pinterest find. Check out the resource blog page here.

What is Lego Quest?

Lego Quest is a non-competitive, creative building challenge resource for LEGO loving kids.

When can you use Lego Quest?

It works great outdoors or indoors and doesn’t require too much space. Just lots of legos. Be sure to sort them into several bins so small groups can work with them.

2) Candy Lego Building – Children will enjoy building with candy blocks and then when they’re all done you can pack them up in a zippie bag for them to take home and play with (or eat!) later.

3) Design a Lego Person

Now this activity is just precious. All you have to do is provide a blank lego person template such as this one, and glue, markers, construction paper, and scissors, and let the children go to town. They can design their very own lego person. You’ll be delightfully surprised at their creativity. I’ve seen ‘Mini-Me’ Lego People, Darth Vader Lego People, and even Rapunzel. The sky’s the limit.

Enjoy!

Tape Inspired Activities

Posted on by Marie

Yes I said tape! For some reason I’ve found kids love tape. Perhaps it’s the tactile feel of it? Or maybe the fact that it differs from paper? Whatever it is kids love it. Tape activities are perfect for summer time when the sun may be so scorching outside that kids just feel like spending a little time indoors.

 

 

 

Duct Tape Flowersducttapeflowers

Check out this amazing tutorial on from ucreatewithkids.com

For Ages 6 and Up

 

And the fun doesn’t stop there. You can make all kinds of projects with colorful duct tape, including Hair clips, belts, wallets, bookmarks, water bottle covers, and more.

Masking Tape Maze!

For Ages 7 and Up

Supplies needed: A carpet, masking tape, paper & pen, and at least 4 participants (can be done with two, but as with most board games, it’s more fun with four.)

1) Have the kids prepare a square grid on the ground with the masking tape. It can be 4 squares by 4 squares or higher, 8 squares by 8 squares. The more squares, the harder the game.

2) Designate one person to be the “Maze Master”. You will give this person the pen & paper and they will chart out a path through the maze. Sometimes it’s helpful to have this person be an adult or older child at first.

3) Line everyone up at the starting line. Then, instruct everyone that this is a quiet game. Nobody may speak. They must try to get through the mazes by stepping in the correct series of boxes according to what the “Maze Master” has planned. If someone steps in the wrong box, they are out. (It’s kind fun if you have some kind of buzzer to ‘buzz’ people out handy. If not clapping works well too.)

4) This is a memory game of sorts. Each participant must try to remember from turn to turn what the correct path is out of the maze. Eventually they will figure out and make it through. Then you can appoint a new Maze Master.

Enjoy!

Marie

Reading Club

Posted on by Marie

Book Clipart ImagesIt’s Book Fair week at our school.  I always love seeing children get excited about reading books.  Adding a reading club to your after school program can help keep children motivated to read.  There are many ways a Reading Club can be added to an After School Program. Here are a few ideas you can try.

1) Plan a Club Theme that is inspired by children’s literature.

A few ideas have been outlined on this site, like Harry Potter Club or Fancy Nancy Club.  Children can enjoy reading and listening to the stories, while also making crafts or playing games that complement them.

2) Plan an Ongoing Reading Club

Set aside time in your daily schedule specifically dedicated to reading.  Younger children can be read to, while older children can read on their own if they wish.  Instruct the children that they will participate in the the club each day for at least 15-20 minutes.  Each time they complete a session they will earn a star on the incentive chart.  After earning a certain number they will earn an incentive.  This is a great way for children and parents to track their progress.

What ideas for leading a reading club do you have? What other ways do you integrate academics into the after-school setting?

I’ve joined Pinterest!

Posted on by Marie
Top of Box
Decoupage Trinket Box Craft on Pinterest

I may be a little behind on this, but I’ve finally done it.  I’ve joined Pinterest.  It was kind of an exciting process.  First, you have to sign up to be on a waiting list.  Then, you have to be ‘invited’ to join.  I felt it added a mysterious flair to the whole process.

What a great resource this will be for planning after school clubs and activities for children! It’s the ultimate idea-sharing site.  As I browse around, I am eager to share what I find with you.

Inspiration.  It’s a beautiful thing! (And so are all the photos on pinterest.)  And if you’d like to follow my page, click on this link.

 

 

Fun Spring Time Craft Ideas:

Source: craftelf.com via Marie on Pinterest

Snowy Crafts!

Posted on by Marie

Whether you live in a sunny or snowy climate, tis the season for some fun, snow-inspired crafts!

Here are a few ideas for your after school program!

1) Decorate a Snowman Cookie

Supplies Needed:

  • Sugar Cookies (in 2 to 3 diff. sizes- Nilla Wafers work great for the head)
  • White Frosting
  • Mini M&M’s, Skittles (for face and buttons)
  • Twizzlers (for scarf)
  • Black Licorice – cut into pieces (for top hat)
  • Spoons (for spreading frosting)
  • Paper Plates
  • Pretzel Sticks (for arms)

Place 2-3 cookies on a plate. Allow kids to ice using spoons. Decorate your snowman (or woman).

2) Edible Snowballs on a Stick

I’ve posted this one before…it’s one of my favorites!  A fun, winter food craft for your enjoyment that’s super simple too! 

Supplies needed:

  • white chocolate chips or Candiquik** (see below)
  • microwave safe bowls
  • large marshmallows
  • sprinkles
  • craft sticks
  • wax paper (for drying)

A work colleague of mine shared this with me! I tried it out with a group of five year olds and they had a blast!! Have an adult melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Allow the children to attach their marshmallow to a craft stick, dip in white chocolate, and sprinkles (if desired) and allow to dry.

Eat and enjoy!

 

**Log House Vanilla Candiquik, 16-ounce Package, Pack of oneAn alternative to using white choc. chips is a new product I found (well, new for me anyway) called candiquik. This stuff is awesome! It’s microwavable and comes with it’s own tray! Also, as an added bonus — you can dip up to 18-20 projects, and add the sprinkles — all without reheating! This is great because each time you reheat white choc chips they get lumpier and sometimes brown.  You can find this product online at amazon.com or at your local Target store.

3) 3D Paper Snowflakes

I’ve been making regular paper snowflakes all my life and have since passed on my love for making them to the kids at work.  One day while we were making them, one of the kid’s parents came in and said, “Have you ever made a 3D snowflake?” “No! I had not” I replied. (How cool does that sound?) She showed us how to make them, and from that day forward, we loved it.  It looks challenging…and for me the process was hard to remember at first.  But, follow this link to wikihow: How to make a 3D snowflake and you will end up with something that looks like this:

From www.wikihow.com: Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake

I hope you all settle in with a cup of warm cocoa and enjoy this Winter season with your charges! What will you be up to this winter?


Game Show Club

Posted on by Marie

Do you remember Family Feud, Jeopardy or Double Dare?

Ok, in the world of advanced video gaming systems, game shows may seem a little outdated, but kids will always enjoy engaging in fun group games. Game Show club can offer a new opportunity for friendly competition. In order to instill a spirit of healthy competition make sure to remind children about sportsmanship and teamwork. If you’d like, you can keep a supply of small prizes to handout at each week for good sportsmanship, as well as for winning games. Here are ideas for a four week club. Continue reading “Game Show Club” →

After School Club Ideas: A to Z

Posted on by Marie

I have compiled a comprehensive after school club theme list using every letter of the alphabet. Stay tuned for upcoming reviews, strategies, and lesson plans for implementing these ideas! Just for fun I have placed an *asterisks next to clubs I have seen in action and **double-asterisks next to clubs that have been written about here at After School Club Ideas. Continue reading “After School Club Ideas: A to Z” →

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