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Planning activities for OSC (Out of School Care) and older children can present challenges. Children who were once enthusiastic about activities may now show little interest, perhaps feeling they are too old for care. If older children in your care are disinterested in planned activities, it's time to reassess your approach to planning with these 30 activities and program planning tips.
Understanding How School-Age Children Learn
School-age children, typically between ages 6 and 12, learn through observation, listening, exploration, experimentation, and questioning. As they mature, they relish taking greater responsibility for their learning and participating in decision-making regarding activities. It's crucial at this stage to ensure children are interested, motivated, and actively engaged in their learning process. It helps if they grasp the relevance of what they're learning—how it benefits them and connects to their world.
Planning Based on Interests
Despite their growing independence, program planning still revolves around children's interests, albeit with a greater emphasis on granting them freedom and autonomy. Caregivers must continue observing and documenting each child's preferences and interests. As children mature, they may become less communicative with caregivers, prioritizing peer relationships. To gain insight, caregivers should immerse themselves in the children's world, taking an interest in their interests. Familiarize yourself with their friends, organize activities that facilitate peer interaction, and stay updated on trends by exploring platforms like TikTok and other social media channels popular among their age group.
Activities
Journaling (Junk Journaling Art Journal, Benefits Of Journaling , Junk Journaling For Beginners , Junk Journal Inspo )
Clay Projects ( Air Dry Clay projects)
Science Experiments (Science Sparks)
Technology (Technology Projects
Earth Science ( Resources )
Music & Dance ( Music Activity Planning Ideas)
Field trips (Homeschool Field Trip Ideas)
Advanced Lego: Add to your Lego collection, add tutorials on how to build certain things. Huge bins filled with Lego are always a hit with older children, it allows them to create freely.
Creative Writing Exercises ( Creative Writing Step-By-Step )
Clubs: Clubs work great for larger childcare centers. Create clubs children can choose to be a part of, meet every week, and do activities specific to the club. Clubs can include an art club, science club, sewing club, reading club, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Graphic Design & Digital Art ( 4 Websites Where Kids Can Create Digital Art)
Cooking
Candle Making
Soap Making
Explore Art Styles ( Art Styles Explained, Make Pop Art )
Board Games (Board Games For Children & Families )
Astronomy ( Astronomy Activities, Astronomy Lesson Plans )
Mad Libs ( Printables )
Textile Arts & Crafts ( Fiber Art Ideas )
Engineering & STEM Activities ( Engineering Projects )
Gym Games (15 Old Fashioned Gym Games)
Improv Games ( For older children, For younger children )
Explore Theatre: Put on a play for parents, create set designs, act and sing, create songs and dance. Put on a play based on a book or story.
Writing For Movies: Have children come up with a storyline, characters, plot, etc. for a movie.
Movie Production With Video Editing Apps: Challenge children to create a movie trailer or short film using video editing apps from a story they wrote.
Hiking
Photography: buy some inexpensive digital cameras ( search Facebook marketplace) and give them to children to practice photography skills. Print off photos and display them or create albums for each child. Experiment with film photography as well.
Open-ended art corner: Enhance your classroom art center by adding and including different mediums and supplies ( ex. watercolor, oil pastels, textured paper, paint additions (ex. Mod Podge), paint chips & more).
Study Greek Mythology ( Resource )
Add History Books To Your Library