After a long school day, school-age children may want to do nothing but play electronic games. That’s because children want to avoid getting involved in any activity that’s physically or mentally taxing after attending a regular school day.
However, if children participate in games and activities that support their overall health, it can be a great way to channel their energy.
Here are some indoor/outdoor after-school activities you can plan for school-age children in Arcola, MD.
While some children prefer a peaceful time after school, others require physical activity. Parents and childcare facilities should care for children’s physical needs by planning exercise routines appropriate for their age. The goal of these workouts should be to improve their agility and overall health.
Reading a children’s book while curled on cushions or a sofa on the floor is a great way to unwind after educational lessons. Allow children to pick a book from the bookshelf or give them options to choose a book.
Sudoku is a brilliant activity for your child since it requires them to solve puzzles using math. This not only helps children relax but also helps them improve their math knowledge and enhance their problem-solving skills.
You could play calming or relaxing songs as background music for some of the before or after-school activities. Whether children are painting, baking, or exercising, music uplifts their spirits and helps calm their racing minds.
School-age children who prefer painting, drawing, or creating artwork greatly enjoy art-based activities. Provide creative and colorful material to these kids and let them be creative with their artwork. But you can also teach them basic drawing and painting techniques.
Children can learn about social issues by doing charity work or through volunteering. Many religious, social, and community groups offer volunteering opportunities for children. While this activity may not be possible for toddlers or young kids, older children can contribute to cleaning drives or fundraising events. These activities help them develop strong leadership and teamwork skills.
Stretching exercises are great for improving the physical fitness of young children. But if you want to enhance the emotional well-being of small children, mindfulness can play a crucial role.
Children can benefit greatly from mindfulness because it helps them overcome daily challenges. They can learn to recognize all their negative and unpleasant emotions. That also gives them a better chance to know about their inner self.
Educators and parents can help their children review the concepts acquired during the year through a fun trivia game. Teams of four to five children can work together to provide answers to questions on various subjects or themes. Award one point to each group for each correct response.
Children will enjoy competing in teams to determine which group can correctly guess the most vocabulary words in this game. It would help if you started with simple vocabulary words and progressed to more complex concepts after every round.
Promote children’s creativity by allowing them to try out their sculpting skills. Let them make small sculptures of toys or their favorite characters and encourage them to present them to their class.
Children will also develop their observational skills and develop creative ways to use materials they find outdoors and inside their homes.
The benefits of mindful coloring are manifold. It improves fine motor skills and enhances creativity. Choose coloring books with simple and fun tasks to keep children entertained.
Spending 15 to 20 minutes coloring pictures helps children relieve stress before or after school. This activity is popular among school-age children; even high-school and university children are turning to adult coloring books for the same benefits.
These games are a valuable way to teach children about teamwork and patience. Working together to build a pyramid will be fun for each child. Let them attempt it a few times so the children can practice their teamwork abilities. It improves the hand-eye coordination and fine motor schools of children. Using education stacking cups can help you reinforce mathematical and linguistic concepts in a fun way.
You can encourage your children to get outdoors with a fun bug search game. Let them explore their surroundings to find out the different types of bugs they come across. That’s a great way of teaching them about various insects while improving their agility. They may have to jump over things, climb trees, or crouch and contort their bodies to explore narrow spaces. Use phrases like ‘on tree trunks’ and ‘under leaves and rocks’ to help them find a variety of tiny creatures.
An after-school program can easily take care of the dreaded after-school hours into fruitful learning time. This is a significant advantage, particularly for children who think and learn differently. Group and individual activities help children develop skills and abilities they will use outside the classroom and in the real world.
Many after-school programs offer homework assistance, benefiting children who struggle with schoolwork at home or cannot sit down to complete their work. Getting things done after school can give children more time in the evening to spend quality time with their parents.
The Arcola school-age program at Montgomery Childcare Association is designed to be an entertaining and safe addition to your child’s regular school day. We provide healthy and nutritious snacks, various indoor and outdoor games, and a mix of creative activities, all of which are part of the Arcola school-age curriculum.
Children in our programs enjoy time with their friends, play games, create art, and learn about new and intriguing topics. Our staff assists each child in developing the social and emotional skills necessary for academic success and personal growth.
MCCA has been recognized by the Maryland State Legislature for its commitment to Montgomery County issued a quality programs and special needs child care Proclamation in 2016 to MCCA for its commitment to Montgomery County child care for more than 50 years. MCCA was also selected as a 2018 nonprofit finalist for a MOXIE Award for boldness and innovation
MCCA is the oldest nonprofit licensed child care provider in Montgomery County and started its work in 1968 as a Community Action Project of the War on Poverty. Recognizing the need for quality child care programs in their neighborhoods, a group of local activists formed an association to establish centers in Montgomery County that would serve a diverse population and establish high standards for child care. Now, more than 50 years later, MCCA’s dedicated and expertly trained staff continue their tradition of providing high quality child care and play-based education for children.
Families with school aged children who can afford their child care expenses during the school year often struggle to afford the all-day programs they need when school is out for the summer. The Richard Krampf Summer Adventures Scholarship Fund was established to help provide children a safe and stimulating place to spend their weeks when school is out. Please contact an MCCA Director for details on how to apply.