What To Do With SA's Over The Break

[squareone]

This year is my first with SA's and I am panicking about keeping them busy all day every day for an entire week I will have them for 11 hours a day for 10 days. I have my preschoolers on a schedule but when SA's are here we usually just ditch lesson plans since the preschoolers don't cooperate anyway. I will allow them plenty of time outside time and there will be some study time as well. I have age appropriate workbooks, puzzles, activity pads, story starters, board games, a few crafts, and art supplies. This never keeps them busy as they jump from activity to activity never really completing anything. So between meals, outside time, and studying, what else can I do with them? When I try to have them help me with the younger kids all they want to do is boss them around and that just leaves everyone all riled up.

What is YOUR plan of attack?

[morgan24]

I'm still working on my plan. I'm going to make salt dough ornaments for them to decorate with markers. I really only have one that can't keep himself busy. I'm letting him bring his ds. Most of my toys are for the 5 and under age, so I'm letting the 7 & 8 year old girls bring pet shop and other small toys to play with. I will be interested to see all the ideas.

[mismatchedsocks]

i have a big art project for each day they are here, just for them. I also have a field trip to bowling alley that week off, and they are my "helpers". During nap time we will watch movies or play wii as long as they are quiet. I love my school agers during winter/spring break. Summer break is too long in my opinion so I like the older kids here because they can help, and we can talk about normal things throughout the day.

[familyschoolcare]

We follow a ruff schedgule

8:45 morning snack

9:15 Art project

10:30 walk to park

12:00 lunch

12:45 go on a field trip

3:20 Afternoon snack

4:00 movie

With the exception of the movie everyone "particiaptes" in everything. You come to the table for snacks, lunch and art if you choose to sit instead of

the schedguled activity then that is your problem not mine and no talking about how you are borred. That gets you a timeout during "free play" for

disrupting the enjoyment of the other children. Also, the above timeline a plan and is not set in stone once the process of mornig snack is stated, I

move to the next thing, as soon as I have it set up. The inbetween times is freeplay. I make lunch in the morning and place it in a crock pot if it is a hot

lunch, we stay at the park untill it is time for lunch. We stay at our field trip untill it is time for snack. When I had the children earlier this year they

stayed so bussy that only the 7th grade boy complained about being borred.

[squareone]

i have a big art project for each day they are here, just for them. I also have a field trip to bowling alley that week off, and they are my "helpers". During nap time we will watch movies or play wii as long as they are quiet. I love my school agers during winter/spring break. Summer break is too long in my opinion so I like the older kids here because they can help, and we can talk about normal things throughout the day.

Ideally, that's how I envisioned it being for me too. Boy was I wrong. The SA's that I have need more supervision than the littles! They cannot keep themselves busy, fight constantly, and have to be reminded of the rules a million times. I find myself repeatedly asking them "Does your mom let you do that at home? Well then what makes you think you can do it here?"

Good idea on the bowling. Maybe I will plan a bowling trip and ask my MIL to help out. I will also ask parents if the kids have handheld video games and allow them to bring them.

[mismatchedsocks]

If my SA's fight then they get treated like the littles. They know this. And I had ONE test it one time last year. He told me no, and was trying to push kids, etc. All in a matter of 5 minutes. He then was told to sit at a small table, coloring with me next to him and he laid down at nap time. Boy that 8 year old didnt like that. I also wrote his mom an email with him right there reading it back to me, that said

"bobby had a hard time today being nice to his little friends and ms. amber. he had his big kid privileges taken away and was given a nap. After nap he has been fine. We just wanted to let you know that his behavior will not be tolerated and we are sure Bobby doesn't want to be treated like a little each day of his summer break. Thank you"