Ideas For School Age Children

[vpierce2]

Hello,

We are looking to make our school age program better. Please post any ideas you may have for great school age children activites we can do this summer.

Thanks in Advance!
Vickie

[Unregistered]

Summertime Activities for Children in Daycare

Here is a link with some suggestions:

http://www.creativekidsathome.com/summerkidsactivities2.html

[Unregistered]

School age ideas

I was an on site director for a school age program in Iowa for eight years and soem of teh theings taht went over well were the following:

This can double as both an activity and a snack :-) It is called dirt in a cup. It consists of chocolate pudding, oreo cookies, and gummy worms. Each child gets a styrofoam cup and gets to create their own "dirt" to eat. You supply then with the ingredients and watch teh creativity!

The other thing taht my kids loved was making tye dye coffee filters. This will occupy them for a long time and is something that can just be set out they can do when it is free time, or you can do it as a group activity. All you do is buy coffee filters (cheap ones) and supply them with markers and have them color the filters, the more colors the better and then they fold them until you can make a tip at the end and then just barely dip the filter in the water, just teh end and watch the colors spread. Then open them up and let them dry! Istant art and the kids have a blast creating all kinds of designs. This is age appropraite for all of them that can color and dip in water.

Good luck!

[Laurel]

Hello,

We are looking to make our school age program better. Please post any ideas you may have for great school age children activites we can do this summer.

Thanks in Advance!
Vickie

I know this is an old thread but this might help someone else. When I used to take school agers we did something that really worked well.

We took a virtual vacation around the United States. This can last all summer. We picked a state and did two or three things relating to that state. We put a map of the U.S. up also to track where we were.

As an example, we picked our state first, Florida. We made freshly squeezed orange juice one day and another day we made a beach cake. The cake turned out sooo cute. We used light brown sugar for the sand, blue cotton candy for the water, the beachgoers were teddy grahams lying on fruit striped gum 'towels' on the beach.

Then we did Kentucky and researched that they have a lot of caves. I got a cave video at the library and we watched that. Then we converted the family room into a cave and went spelunking. We made it dark, crawled behind the sofa and made an obstacle type thing with chairs, blankets, etc. We had flashlights to find our way. They loved it.

Laurel

[KSDC]

I know this is an old thread but this might help someone else. When I used to take school agers we did something that really worked well.

We took a virtual vacation around the United States. This can last all summer. We picked a state and did two or three things relating to that state. We put a map of the U.S. up also to track where we were.

As an example, we picked our state first, Florida. We made freshly squeezed orange juice one day and another day we made a beach cake. The cake turned out sooo cute. We used light brown sugar for the sand, blue cotton candy for the water, the beachgoers were teddy grahams lying on fruit striped gum 'towels' on the beach.

Then we did Kentucky and researched that they have a lot of caves. I got a cave video at the library and we watched that. Then we converted the family room into a cave and went spelunking. We made it dark, crawled behind the sofa and made an obstacle type thing with chairs, blankets, etc. We had flashlights to find our way. They loved it.

Laurel

I love this idea. I am sooo planning on stealing it for this summer! Thanks!

[Cradle2crayons]

I know this is an old thread but this might help someone else. When I used to take school agers we did something that really worked well.

We took a virtual vacation around the United States. This can last all summer. We picked a state and did two or three things relating to that state. We put a map of the U.S. up also to track where we were.

As an example, we picked our state first, Florida. We made freshly squeezed orange juice one day and another day we made a beach cake. The cake turned out sooo cute. We used light brown sugar for the sand, blue cotton candy for the water, the beachgoers were teddy grahams lying on fruit striped gum 'towels' on the beach.

Then we did Kentucky and researched that they have a lot of caves. I got a cave video at the library and we watched that. Then we converted the family room into a cave and went spelunking. We made it dark, crawled behind the sofa and made an obstacle type thing with chairs, blankets, etc. We had flashlights to find our way. They loved it.

Laurel

We did this as part of our home schooling and per my daughter begging we also do it in the summer now, even though we aren't currently home schooling. It's a HIT with every child. From fours and up really. And I enjoy it also!

[UnregisteredMe]

activity

I no longer have SA dcks but when I did, we did many versions of simple weaving or knitting: on drinking straws, which can make a belt, the thread-spool version that makes a tube, finger weaving, finger knitting. It was a great activity when it was naptime for the little kids, if they didn't want to be outside, and didn't want to read. We also had a huge standing loom that they wove random things into - they could make a huge group project or they could each map out their own area.
Pretty sure you can find all of these online.

[Laurel]

I love this idea. I am sooo planning on stealing it for this summer! Thanks!

No need to steal it as it is a gift. ::

To be honest, we never got to very many states as we found so much to do from each one but this could last forever. It was really fun for them and me!

Laurel

[Laurel]

We did this as part of our home schooling and per my daughter begging we also do it in the summer now, even though we aren't currently home schooling. It's a HIT with every child. From fours and up really. And I enjoy it also!

I know, I liked it too. Many things the toddlers could enjoy also like crawling through the caves with flashlights. Then we might end up doing a flashlight activity for all while we had them out. A good flashlight activity for toddlers is to make the room pretty dark and shine the light on the floor. They have to go step on the light and then move it so they are looking for it to step on again. They love that and it can be active or tame depending on how fast you move the light spot.

I'm curious, what are some of the things you did? I might be watching my 7 year old granddaughter this summer and my 3 year old grandson. I am retiring in June but may still have the grandkids. I think it would so much fun for us to do.

Laurel

[Blackcat31]

I know this is an old thread but this might help someone else. When I used to take school agers we did something that really worked well.

We took a virtual vacation around the United States. This can last all summer. We picked a state and did two or three things relating to that state. We put a map of the U.S. up also to track where we were.

As an example, we picked our state first, Florida. We made freshly squeezed orange juice one day and another day we made a beach cake. The cake turned out sooo cute. We used light brown sugar for the sand, blue cotton candy for the water, the beachgoers were teddy grahams lying on fruit striped gum 'towels' on the beach.

Then we did Kentucky and researched that they have a lot of caves. I got a cave video at the library and we watched that. Then we converted the family room into a cave and went spelunking. We made it dark, crawled behind the sofa and made an obstacle type thing with chairs, blankets, etc. We had flashlights to find our way. They loved it.

Laurel

I did a trip around the U.S with my preschoolers a while back... I posted a thread on the board asking members if they would send me a post card from their state with 3 things about their state written on the back....

These ladies ROCK!!! happyface

I got so many post cards and cool things from everyone! Some gals sent pictures and other trinkets and stuff that represented their state.

It was absolutely amazing the info I had then to talk with my kids and share with them the joys of our country~

Your idea made me remember that so thought I'd share....

[Michael]

Some related threads: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.p...s+-+school-age

[sahm1225]

I love the virtual vacation around the US. I think I might do that!

Speaking of ladies on daycare.com - I want a pen pal! I know Blackcat was trying to match me up with someone because I missed the sign up last time. Is anyone interested????

[nothingwithoutjoy]

We have a studio space with free access to lots of art materials, recyclables, and natural materials. The school-agers can go for hours in there doing everything from making models to sewing wardrobes for their dolls to making books.

And don't forget "preschool" activities. I think my school-agers like water-table play, making mud pies, playing with shaving cream, and other "little-kid" activities more than the little kids!

[Laurel]

I did a trip around the U.S with my preschoolers a while back... I posted a thread on the board asking members if they would send me a post card from their state with 3 things about their state written on the back....

These ladies ROCK!!! happyface

I got so many post cards and cool things from everyone! Some gals sent pictures and other trinkets and stuff that represented their state.

It was absolutely amazing the info I had then to talk with my kids and share with them the joys of our country~

Your idea made me remember that so thought I'd share....

That is really cool.

When I was in the 8th grade, we took a large piece of paper and had to each draw a state that we were assigned. Mine was Pennsylvania. Then we had to write to their Chamber of Commerce and ask that they send us info about their state. We folded the bottom of the long paper a little and stapled it to make a pocket. Then when our info came it went into the pocket and they were hung around the classroom. Then we could go see what each state sent us. I remember loving that project. Your post reminded me of that.

Laurel

[Laurel]

We have a studio space with free access to lots of art materials, recyclables, and natural materials. The school-agers can go for hours in there doing everything from making models to sewing wardrobes for their dolls to making books.

And don't forget "preschool" activities. I think my school-agers like water-table play, making mud pies, playing with shaving cream, and other "little-kid" activities more than the little kids!

I love the studio idea!

When I retire, I had planned to make an extra bedroom into a kind of hobby room for myself. I could add a table/area for grandchildren too.

Laurel