What would you like to see for activities for your child during full day summer child care?

Question

I have just been chosen to lead a summer day program for 12 kids, ages 6-10, Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:00pm. I have never run a program like this before, and I would like to know what you as parents would like to see from this type of child care.

So far, I plan:

-Walking field trips 2x weekly, to various sites around town (Lake, park, waterfront, etc) (It's a small town)

-Starting a garden (each child will pick out a 6 pack of flowers or vegetables to plant and care for over the summer)

-1 hour of outdoor group games each morning, and at least 1 hour of outdoor free time each afternoon.

-purchasing a wading pool, sprinkler, and perhaps other water games for hot days.

Any suggestions for crafts, games, and activities would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

Some movie theaters have free morning movies you could take them there.  Make sure you have lots of sunscreen for the outdoor activities.  Nobody likes a sunburnt kid!!!!

Answer 2

-make cards for them to take home

-scavanger hunt (keep it in the backyard)

-water fight

-soccer baseball

-make a play

-finger puppets

-show and tell day

-trip to the zoo

-tag

-follow the leader (take turns being the leader)

but the kids are old enough, ask them! i'm sure they will tell you some great ideas that you wouldn't have thought of

Answer 3

fishing

swiming

btw gardening sounds super boring, kids wanna fool around

Answer 4

the garden is a great idea! pools are always touchy with small ones, sprinkler is good idea but not alot of children like them! my daughter has a snack cookin day where they make their snack like pudding, or ants on a log (celery peanut butter and raisins) jello jigglers, stuff like that anything that can keep there attention. explore kids that age tend to like bugs, and amphibians.

Answer 5

Wow this is a great question my son is 4 and he is currently in a program simalar to this, You know as far as crafts go you should definatly do something with taking pictures of the kids and let them past it to the center of a flower or something those are the kinds of crafts that parents hold on to forever., Oh and make sure that there are lots of sports actvitys to tire those kids out...LOL>..Good Luck