![]() This activity type is also useful for parents, they may not know what Drops on a penny means, but they can look and see that their child will have the option to participate in a STEM activity that day. If I want to offer all nine content areas in a month and I have not yet offered a service learning activity, I can put down a SL (service learning) in the activity box for large group activity on Thursday, then when I am planning I know what kind of activity I am looking for. This allows me to hold myself accountable in creating a well-rounded curriculum. You will see at the top of the lesson plan is an activity type legend, the nine categories listed there correspond with the content areas I utilize in my programming. (They usually end up playing, and forget that they wanted to sit out in the first place) Now that you understand the structure of our day let’s move on to activity type. As I mentioned before, we are a free choice program, however I do make children take part in the group game for a minimum of five minutes before deciding to sit out. We plan a daily game for the children to play. ![]() The active game & fitness time chunk is outdoor or gym time. I offer a free choice program so children are not required to take part in any activity they are free to utilize other interest areas in our program if the large group activity does not interest them. In my program this is the largest chunk of time in the day. This is the time of day I offer traditional after school craft, cooking project, computer time, or social game. ![]() I make this the “academic activity” because I do not want it to take away from kids eating or getting homework done, which of course is priority number one. Often it is a STEM, environmental learning, reading or math activity. Although these are the focus of the first portion of our day we also offer an academic activity. This is the time of day I offer homework help and snack. The categories are Academic Activities, Large Group Activities & Active Games/Physical Fitness. Academic Activities There are three listed categories per day. Whatever the activity, it would require kids to work together, and if the kids struggle with the teamwork, it would give me an opportunity to help them work through the conflict and build on cooperation skills.Īs you can see, instead of using a time of day plan I kept the times open-ended and list the specific activities. Maybe I would create a Space themed scavenger hunt, or break kids into teams for a Space STEM challenge. I would stick to my weekly theme, but look for activities that support teamwork within that theme. The kids would be less inclined to participate if they knew I was trying to get them to be better people (she said joking.kinda) . Now, don’t get me wrong, I would not call the week, “Teamwork week”. I would then seek activities that emphasize teamwork. For example, I may feel that the kids in my care would benefit from a week dedicated to teamwork. What I mean by purposeful planning is having intention with your lesson. Purposeful Planning for After School Lesson Plans Check out this list of themes for some ideas. I am not saying they are all quality options, but somewhere in the mix are a few good ones. Just go to Pinterest and type in “space theme activities for kids,” you will have hundreds of activities to choose from. Another benefit of theme weeks is that planning becomes easier. Themes help create quality by allowing you to touch on different interests weekly to ensure you are providing well-rounded lessons in your program. Pick a topic to plan activities around, for example, Homemade games Week or Space Week. ![]() I have had tremendous success with my plans and I hope you will as well. This recipe was created from a combination of experience, education and training. I have created what I consider the best high quality after school lesson plan formula for school age programming. In those work environments I have held a range of different positions with varying responsibilities. In my years, I have worked in a variety of different after school and summer camp programs. Let me start by saying that my experience, is just that, an experience. If you are reading this, it is clear that you are passionate about providing the best program for the children you serve, and I am happy to share with you my recipe for a quality program plan. A quality lesson plan provides a free choice environment rich with purposefully themed planning and a well-rounded curriculum. To create a quality after-school program, you need to start with a high caliber after school lesson plan. But you and I know that it goes much deeper than that. The main goal of After School is to provide a safe place for children to complete homework, build social skills, and develop interests.
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