ASAP (After School Activities Partnership) Goal is to increase supervised after school recreation activities for the city’s kids- Call 215-545-2727 for a list of activities in your neighborhood or check their website for the online after school program directory broken down by zip code- 1520 Locust St.
After school programming should offer fun and educational experiences to children of all ages. Providing a wide variety of activities can make the experience more enjoyable for kids and staff.
Physical Activities
During the school day, children are often expected to sit still, keep their voices down, and focus on learning. Consequently, when it comes to after school hours, kids are full of energy. Exercise during the after school program is not only good for students' physical health but also for their emotional well-being.
Obscure Olympics
Celebrate the peculiar abilities children discover by hosting an Obscure Olympics. Children of all ages can take part in events separated into heats by grade level. Depending on how much time you have, the games can be held in one afternoon or take place over the course of a week. Obscure Olympics is a great activity for involving an entire after school program.
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Spray Tag
Outdoor water activities are ideal for summer fun in the backyard but can be difficult to manage in a large program. Spray Tag is an easy and affordable way to incorporate water games into an after school program. Children of any age can play Spray Tag, however, for safety reasons, it is best to play this game with around 15 children in a small, grassy outdoor space.
Supplies: Ten spray bottles
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The use of spray bottles should prevent any child from being soaked. Depending on the area available for the game, it is possible for the ground to become slippery, so caution children about this.
Capture the Balloon
An expansion of Capture the Flag, this statically charged competition requires little planning. Children in second grade and up can easily participate in this strategic team game. One round can include an entire class and should take around 10-15 minutes.
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Educational Activities
While after school activities should focus more on fun than anything else, they should also supplement educational goals when possible. After school programs often have more freedom and creativity in lesson planning. Make learning fun and kids will look forward to attending.
Shapes and Sounds
Incorporating activities from different fields can help keep an after school program exciting. This simple music activity will help students learn basic musical concepts while having fun. Children ages 7-10 are most likely to grasp this concept and find it challenging. The individual portion of the activity will take around 15-20 minutes. If you include a group performance, the activity may last up to an hour depending on how many kids participate.
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At the end of the activity, students can perform their song for the entire group. For added difficulty, give each student two instruments and ask them to create a song using both instruments.
Unscrambled Eggs
Colorful plastic eggs have many uses outside of traditional Easter egg hunts. Children of any elementary grade can participate in this treasure hunt.
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If this activity is used for children who are unable to read, substitute the words in the message with pictures.
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Use It or Lose It
Learning new words and how to use them can be difficult. This fun game pits student against student in a battle of wits. Students in second grade and up are best suited for this activity.
Preparation: Create vocabulary cards by writing a new word on one side and the definition on the back. Make enough for each student in the group to get one or two.
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A competitive variation of this game would be to have the winner of each round stay in front of the room and compete in the next round by only selecting one new player each time.
Run On Story
This activity can be completed with any group of two or more people who are able to read and write. The outcome will be different every time and there is no planning involved. It is a great spur-of-the-moment activity that requires students to search for context clues.
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Crafty Creations
Arts and crafts activities can be great for rainy days, times when kids are low on energy, or when you need to help them calm down. Most crafts can be adapted to any age group with a few simple supply substitutions. Younger students might need safety scissors, crayons and glue dots while older students can use markers or tape.
Marble Maze
Using recycled materials to create useful activities is a great way to make affordable crafts that can entertain kids long after your after school program is over. Third to sixth graders are the best candidates for this craft because it requires some problem-solving and engineering skills. The entire craft will take about a half hour to complete, which includes drying time.
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Free After School Programs For Kids With Disabilities
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If this craft is completed in a group setting, allow children to swap mazes after all have been completed. See who has created the most difficult maze and who is the fastest marble maze racer.
Puzzle Collage
Puzzles always seem to lose a piece or two somewhere in the cleanup process. This craft is the perfect opportunity to create a unique picture from leftover puzzle pieces. Children of any age can create this craft, but upper elementary students will probably have the most success. The activity should take less than an hour.
Planning: Collect pieces from several puzzles of the same size. The more puzzles used, the more unique each child's creation will be.
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Collages are simple, common art projects that open up a child's imagination. The puzzle collage adds an extra challenge because students will need to find pieces from different puzzles that still fit together. To make the project more challenging, have students work together in a group to complete the artwork on a larger scale.
Fun for Everyone
After school program activities can be fun, educational or both. From homework help and mentoring to creating friendships and keepsakes the precious time students spend together after school can be memorable in many ways.
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