With the right activities and planning, school age programs can offer newcomer children the experience of a lifetime. As you know, newcomer children have been through many changes and challenges in their young lives, and your program can help them create new and lasting memories.
When you are planning, consider all the cultures of the newcomer children in your program and incorporate them in a variety of ways into the activities. Remember to follow safe practices, as they are always a part of good planning. Most of all use your imagination and have fun. Sometimes the best activities, though well thought out, are the ones that also have elements of spontaneity.
Make a plan.
Use your imagination and creativity to plan activities that will create new and happy memories for the newcomer children in your program. Make the activities safe and interesting, yet stimulating enough to be fun. Create opportunities for the children to feel they have accomplished something.
As you’re planning an activity, remember to:
- Involve the children by asking for their input and feedback.
- Consider the age range in your school age program.
- Consider the language levels of the children.
- Be organized – your time in the room should be focused on the children.
- Be culturally sensitive– in your room have inclusive pictures and as much information as possible in as many languages as you can.
As you are planning, ask yourself:
- What are the ages in the program – is it all 10 year olds or is it mixed?
- Is it going to be enjoyable for them?
- Is this an activity they can be successful at?
- Will it work for children with different language levels?
- Have I asked for their input?
- How can it work in this space?
- Will it be safe?
- What supplies do I have available?
- What ideas have worked in the past?
- What do I want the children to get out of this activity?
- Does the activity introduce them to new information and ideas? About their neighbourhood? About their new country?
- How can I expand this activity if the children are enjoying it?
- What is my back-up idea in case this activity does not work as well as I thought it would? (Always have a back-up idea just in case.)
Take time to evaluate.
Once the activity is completed, take some time to evaluate it. It is as important to learn from successes as it is from mistakes. Ask yourself the planning questions again, look to see if the responses prove that the activity met all of the goals that you had. If not consider what you can do differently to meet the needs of the children. Use the results of this evaluation as you plan for future activities and events.
Activity Ideas:
- Cooking and baking
- Treasure hunt
- Putting on a play
- Picnic
- Making a book
- Science experiments
- Painting murals
- Planting
- Puzzles
- Making jewelry
- Flying kites
- Making a pull-string piñata
RESOURCES:
Content provided by Paul Jackson, CMAS School Age Subject Matter Expert.
Bergman, Abby Barry; and William Greene (1995) The Complete School Age Child Care Resource Kit-Practical Guidelines, Material and Activities for Implementing a Quality SACC Program. New York, New York: The Center for Applied Research in Education
Blau, Rosalie, et al. (1985) Activities for School Age Child Care. Washington, DC: NAEYC
Brady, Martha, and Patsy Gleason (1994) Art Starts-Drama, Music, Movement, Puppetry and Storytelling Activities. Golden, Colorado: Teacher’s Ideas Press
Hoo, Susan and Donna Miller. Summer Programs for Children New to Canada: A LINC Guide to Planning Summer Programs for School-Aged Children. Funded by Citizen and Immigration Canada, Ontario Administration of Settlement and Integration Services.
Wheeler, Ron (1997) Creative Resources for Elementary Classrooms and School-Age Programs. Albany, New York, New York: Delmar Publishers
