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Posted by Susan Carney May 25, 2007 |
With school coming to a close and summer just around the corner, most of us are looking forward to kicking back and spending the vacation months hanging out and having fun. But that doesn’t mean that learning and growing has to stop for kids. There are plenty of ways to have fun while continuing to provide challenging and stimulating activities for kids.
Often the planning of activities is the biggest hurdle for youth workers to overcome. We run out of ideas, we don’t have time to do the legwork required, or the energy to figure out the details. But there are some simple ways to provide a great summer program without too much stress on your part.
Some ideas:
Weekly themes. Once you’ve decided on themes, you’d be surprised how many different ideas you can think of. Themes provide the structure that allows your thought process to focus in on a specific set of ideas, which can help even the most harried planner keep from becoming overwhelmed. Themes will vary depending on the age, ability level and interests of your kids, and can drive your selection of foods, games, stories, craft projects, and special events.
Harness kid’s creativity. Once you’ve decided on themes, break kids into groups and ask them to brainstorm ideas for things you can do within the different themes. Have one group work on food, one work on crafts, etc. Having kids share their ideas with the larger group can generate more ideas.
Keep it simple. Trying to do too much can stress out kids and adults alike. Allow plenty of time for each activity, prep and set up. Make one master list of any supplies you need: enlist parents’ help to borrow or donate items.
Have fun! Even if things don’t go exactly as planned, focus on the fun of the season. Remember to schedule in plenty of time for kids to just relax and hang out together.