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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>School Agers... What to DO??
kpa0627 03:14 PM 05-05-2010
I'm moving soon and becoming licensed so I will have 6 children between ages of infant-5 years. But I am also able to add 4 school age children too. I don't know that I'm going to have 4 but probably 2 (just for extra income). What do you guys do with school agers? What activities/toys/etc. I have a WII so was thinking about buying a couple appropriate games for school age children. But, I'm just so used to little ones I don't know what to get for the older ones so when they are at daycare before school and after school they have things that are theirs to play with and that way they're not bored!
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TGT09 03:42 PM 05-05-2010
I can't help and want to know the answer also. :-)
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Childminder 04:06 PM 05-05-2010
Hang them by their toes from the tree in the front yard.

Seriously, scavenger hunts, building forts(real hammers and nails), parachute activities, games, slip and slide, computer, bug hunts, barbies/bratz, beading, etc.....

Best to find things that they don't interact/free play with the under fives too much or the parents complain about what the older ones 'teach' them. The little ones try to show off for the school-agers and then they become mean and gang up on each other. The older girls are great help with the babies and will play with them constantly.
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melskids 04:16 PM 05-05-2010
i have 4 SA that are here afterschool and on school closures / summers.

first, i make sure you REALLY want school agers in your program. some find it very difficult to add SA to the mix. they really do add a whole new dynamic to your group. SA can be alot of fun, they are a bit easier, as far as not having to be right on top of them all the time. you can do harder and cooler projects with them, hang out and talk to them, and field trips are more fun. however, SA come with their own set or quirks. boys are rough and wrestle ALOT. girls are catty and constantly bicker. they fight over toys and taking turns just like toddlers. it can be difficult to do things with them while trying to supervise the younger ones properly. most of them no longer nap. it is precious though, to watch them interact with the younger ones, helping them or reading them a story. i personally enjoy having them here, even if it is sometimes chaotic....lol

that being said, here's what i do with them....

afterschool i used to worry that i didnt have enough structure or planned activities, but then i came to realize that really, they just left 6 hours of a structured environment, and they need to just decompress. they do come off the bus like little tornadoes after being cooped up all day. we have a snack, and go outside to burn off energy. some like to just curl up in the cozy corner with a book. (not often though...lol)

when they are here all day i do offer them some structured activities. they still like cars and blocks and dramatic play. i have the really small legos for them, knex and bionicles, magnetix, lincoln logs, those types of things. they like free art,coloring books, paints , clay, but also like craft kits from oriental trading. i go through TONS of paper and envelopes with them. they like to do science experiments, cooking, and even playdough still. harder puzzles and board games are a hit. i never allow the t.v. on normally, but i do let them watch t.v. when the little ones are sleeping. i have computer games they love and fight over all the time!!!

you can google school age lesson plans or camp ideas and will get lots of ideas from there!!!

if i think of more ideas i will post them....i'm currently being yelled at by my 13 year old to get off the computer...lol

good luck and enjoy them!!!
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sahm2three 04:19 PM 05-05-2010
Originally Posted by melskids:
i have 4 SA that are here afterschool and on school closures / summers.

first, i make sure you REALLY want school agers in your program. some find it very difficult to add SA to the mix. they really do add a whole new dynamic to your group. SA can be alot of fun, they are a bit easier, as far as not having to be right on top of them all the time. you can do harder and cooler projects with them, hang out and talk to them, and field trips are more fun. however, SA come with their own set or quirks. boys are rough and wrestle ALOT. girls are catty and constantly bicker. they fight over toys and taking turns just like toddlers. it can be difficult to do things with them while trying to supervise the younger ones properly. most of them no longer nap. it is precious though, to watch them interact with the younger ones, helping them or reading them a story. i personally enjoy having them here, even if it is sometimes chaotic....lol

that being said, here's what i do with them....

afterschool i used to worry that i didnt have enough structure or planned activities, but then i came to realize that really, they just left 6 hours of a structured environment, and they need to just decompress. they do come off the bus like little tornadoes after being cooped up all day. we have a snack, and go outside to burn off energy. some like to just curl up in the cozy corner with a book. (not often though...lol)

when they are here all day i do offer them some structured activities. they still like cars and blocks and dramatic play. i have the really small legos for them, knex and bionicles, magnetix, lincoln logs, those types of things. they like free art,coloring books, paints , clay, but also like craft kits from oriental trading. i go through TONS of paper and envelopes with them. they like to do science experiments, cooking, and even playdough still. harder puzzles and board games are a hit. i never allow the t.v. on normally, but i do let them watch t.v. when the little ones are sleeping. i have computer games they love and fight over all the time!!!

you can google school age lesson plans or camp ideas and will get lots of ideas from there!!!

if i think of more ideas i will post them....i'm currently being yelled at by my 13 year old to get off the computer...lol

good luck and enjoy them!!!
I completely agree! I let them run and just be after school! During the summer I plan on having some educational stuff for an hour or so during the day, but otherwise, it will be a lot of outdoor activities. Hands on stuff. Nature walks, riding bikes, etc. Also, I have an inflatable waterslide that comes down after each use and we will no doubt be on that quite a bit!
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TGT09 05:18 PM 05-05-2010
That's what I do but felt like I was slacking when I didn't have every minute of every day occupied. I often thought they needed time to just "relax" and play whatever they want.
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missnikki 05:38 PM 05-05-2010
Those are all great ideas! To add a few:
My kids love playing cards, twister (the game), karaoke machines, fooseball/air hockey table, helping make the snacks and meals, origami, nerf basketball (indoors), and the all time favorite game they beg me to play:
In the Dark Tag. here's what we do-We turn out the lights and close the blinds, make it as dark as possible. (Of course rearrange furniture that is obviously in the way) One kid is 'it', and wears the blindfold. The rest try to stay as quiet as possible and scatter around the room to hide. The 'it' kid has to use their sense of sound and feel around to find people. I am always watching to make sure no one gets hurt. They cannot help but giggle watching their friend waving around in the dark listening for the hiders. One rule we have is that if you are it and it takes too long or you are frustrated, you can say 'freeze time', and everyone but you has to freeze for 10 seconds. When someone is caught, you can have them be 'it' -but all my kids want to get tagged to be 'it', so we play that if you get tagged, you are out for one round but you can pick the next 'it'.
I know that would be impossible to play with little ones, but any variation of tag or hide and seek is very popular with my School Agers.
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momofboys 05:46 PM 05-05-2010
Originally Posted by kpa0627:
I'm moving soon and becoming licensed so I will have 6 children between ages of infant-5 years. But I am also able to add 4 school age children too. I don't know that I'm going to have 4 but probably 2 (just for extra income). What do you guys do with school agers? What activities/toys/etc. I have a WII so was thinking about buying a couple appropriate games for school age children. But, I'm just so used to little ones I don't know what to get for the older ones so when they are at daycare before school and after school they have things that are theirs to play with and that way they're not bored!

Here's what we do. Well, first of all, I have two school-age boys of my own plus I watch one school-ager. We have LOTS of things like Knex, Lego sets, play doh kits, Martian MAtter (they LOVE this) to work on if the weather stinks. But honestly on days that the weather is good after they get home & have their snack we all head out in the backyard to play (baseball/frisbee/nature hunts/races). It helps that I only have 2 kids during the days it is easier for me to devote time to doing races, pitching baseballs, etc since I only have 5 total before & after school. We have a swingset/slide in the backyard that is age-appropriate for the school-agers so that helps also.
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QualiTcare 08:17 PM 05-05-2010
last summer i worked in a center with a huge group of school agers.

we took a lot of field trips and went swimming, but when we were at the center...i had a story time with the Goosebumps books. they loved it! i have the videos too, so after i read a few chapters, i'd let them watch. they'd beg to read/watch. it got to be hard because the 5/6 year olds weren't old enough for the stories, and i had other things i needed to do.

soo...i got the kids who were really good readers to start reading for me. they loved it cus they felt like a teacher - and the kids being read to would sit and listen because Goosebumps books are awesome.

just one idea.

i also had the kids that could read get with a kid that couldn't read yet and read to them. i did that when i was cleaning up after lunch. there were so many kids in that program, it was usually a 10/11 year old reading to three or four 5-7 year olds.
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gkids09 09:24 PM 05-05-2010
I have 6 after school kids who don't get there until about 3:30, on the bus. They have their own "special" room, where they can set up a table and draw, do homework, or play games (We have checkers and Candyland so far...). We also have a big box of books, from the lowest Kindergarten level up. When they come in the afternoons, we (my assistant and I) let them play for about 30 mins, have snack, and then they do their homework. If they don't have homework, they can either go back to their room or stay and play with the rest of us. We don't watch TV in the afternoons at all. They are so good with the little ones, and know if they get too rough, they have to go to their school kid room and do something in there instead. We also have a rule that if they talk ugly (rude, gross, inappopriate things) they have to go "talk to the potty." They got a kick out of this the first time, but after having to be embarassed and actually have to walk in the bathroom and stay for a couple seconds, they have done great with what they are saying in front of each other and the little ones. Good luck! They are tougher (imo) than little ones just because of their attitudes sometimes, but they also help a lot!!
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melskids 02:51 AM 05-06-2010
Originally Posted by gkids09:
I have 6 after school kids who don't get there until about 3:30, on the bus. They have their own "special" room, where they can set up a table and draw, do homework, or play games (We have checkers and Candyland so far...). We also have a big box of books, from the lowest Kindergarten level up. When they come in the afternoons, we (my assistant and I) let them play for about 30 mins, have snack, and then they do their homework. If they don't have homework, they can either go back to their room or stay and play with the rest of us. We don't watch TV in the afternoons at all. They are so good with the little ones, and know if they get too rough, they have to go to their school kid room and do something in there instead. We also have a rule that if they talk ugly (rude, gross, inappopriate things) they have to go "talk to the potty." They got a kick out of this the first time, but after having to be embarassed and actually have to walk in the bathroom and stay for a couple seconds, they have done great with what they are saying in front of each other and the little ones. Good luck! They are tougher (imo) than little ones just because of their attitudes sometimes, but they also help a lot!!
OMG! the talking to the potty thing is a GREAT idea. i am having HUGE issues with them first burping and farting, and now that ive curbed that , they now like to announce that they have to burp and fart. the boys are also obsessed with talknig about their privates. (typical men) i'm gonna make them tell it to the potty....lol
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Unregistered 09:55 AM 05-07-2010
I got a couple of home computers and made a work station in the corner of the playroom, I got them on craigslist for not much money and bought some learning games off ebay. Can't keep them off the pc's now. Other then that they love arts and crafts and being the helper with almost anything you can think of.
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Tags:activities, school-age, toys
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