TODAY- Nature Play Day!

What are you going to do to celebrate nature today? 
This afternoon, the school-age group will be creating a habitat for garden snails that I recieved at the workshop (mine laid eggs!) 

Here are some ideas you and your children may like to use to reconnect with nature!

• Earth clay sculptures
• Branch, shell and stone mobile
• Turn over logs and rocks to discover what's underneath
• Plant or pot a garden
• Buy a pet tree.....yes, trees make great pets!
• Photograph something in nature
• Sketch a natural element
• Make mud pies
• Play in the forest
• Walk through the grass in bare feet

All of these things are possible.  If not today, then tomorrow and then the next day and the next.....until we help children understand that the future of their environments don't need to be made entirely of concrete and plastic.

Until You Read Again.....

NATURE PLAY DAY

Tomorrow, June 15th, is the 1st National Nature Play Day.  Take your children out into nature, plan a nature related activity or read about nature.  Visit http://www.childnature.ca/nature-play-day-canada to learn more and even registar your activity.  Help your children (and maybe even yourself) reconnect with nature.
Until You Read Again.....

School-Age Needs

When setting up a (After)School-Age program or in reviewing the needs of an existing program, it is helpful to find criteria that shows us (the Educators), Directors and a Board of Directors what the standards of practice are. 
In talking with many Educators, it seems that After-School programs are being held in hallways, side rooms, locker rooms, or community rooms.  Although we can be resourceful with the space(s) we are given (hooray for us!), what message does this send to the children?  How do they feel about being corralled into small spaces, or being unable to continuously work on a project?  I'm not stating that this is the truth for all programs, however, everyone should be made aware of the needs of the children in an School-age program.  In the past, I have encouraged my school-agers to be proactive and write letters to Board of Directors/Directors talking about what they think is needed in the program and how they feel about the current program. The following are links with information regarding School-age programming:
http://www.childcarelearning.on.ca
Toronto Operating System
Tribes

If you have other resources to share, please post a link
Until You Read Again.....

First of Many

Welcome! 
This blog is being started as a way for me to communicate ideas with other after-school groups.  In my city, After-school Educators meet monthly to discuss issues and ideas, but sometimes you just have to get an idea out there ASAP!!!
My hope is that other Educators and the Children in their programs will come here to share their experiences, ideas and questions/answers!
I would also like to post challenges.  For example, I challenged my group to create a marble run using only a handful of recycled materials.  They drew up plans and we tried out different configurations until it worked just how they wanted! (i'll post details & pic. tomorrow!)
I'm very excited about getting this ball rolling so,
Until You Read Again.....