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Archive for the ‘Curriculum’ Category

Ideas for a Fun and Safe Playground Experience

Children love to play outdoors and your role is to provide children with  a fun and enriching experience  while on the playground. Moreover, I believe that the playground is an extension of your indoor environment.

In fact, going outdoors is a great way to take indoor activities outdoors; enjoy some fresh air; explore the items that are on the playground and explore nature.

Furthermore,  going outdoors for at least one-hour a day is a great way to encourage gross motor development, such as: running, jumping, climbing, skipping, paddling, digging and so much more.

There are a variety of  ways to encourage gross motor play and outdoor exploration by simply providing a playground experience that the children in your care will enjoy.

Check out the fun & enriching  playground activity ideas below :

Gardening Tools

Children love to dig! Having gardening tools will encourage the children to dig for worms, explore or to start an outdoor garden. Be sure to establish safety rules for the gardening tools and that the children are closely supervised while digging with gardening tools.

Water Play

Along with having a water table outdoors, bring out some pails of water with sponges and encourage the children to wash the playground equipment or bikes; this will keep the children very busy!

Side Walk Chalk

If you have a black top or patio area, having chalk outdoors is a great way to promote handwriting and creativity. So the next time that you go outdoors, don’t forget the chalk.

Outdoor Spray Art

Ahead of time, fill some small spray bottles with water and paint; hang large pieces of paper along the fence with clothes line pins.  Encourage the children to spray the paper with the water bottles. The children will love this colorful outdoor art experience. *This activity will be messy, so request that parents send a shirt for painting.

Sea Shells in the Sand

Adding sea shells to the sandbox will provide the children with a beach like experience. Sea Shells can be purchased at the local Walmart or arts & craft store.

Bring Dramatic Play Outdoors

Do you have a picnic table on your playground? This will be a great place to promote picnic fun or simply pretending to enjoy a meal outdoors.

Outdoor Construction Play

As the children are playing with the gardening tools, you may have some children that may want to move the soil to another area of the playground. Adding toy dump trucks will be great way for the children to role play as construction workers.

Don’t forget the Bubbles!

Children love to blow, chase and play with bubbles. So be sure to always take the bubbles outdoors with you!

Playground Rules

To assure a fun and safe outdoor experience you must develop a set of safety rules for the children and review them before going outdoors. Here is short list of playground safety rules:

  • Go down the slide on our bottom
  • The sand stays in the sandbox
  • The bikes are for the black top or patio area
  • We do not climb on the fence, we climb on the climbers
  • The gardening tools are for digging

Before going outdoors, conduct a playground safety checklist. Also, be sure to conduct a head count before going outdoors and before going back inside the home or building.

With a Fun Playground Experience in mind,

Shiketa

Resources Created With Your Success in Mind:

Family Home Child Care Empowerment eClub

Art of Owning a Child Care Center

Weekly Child Care Business eNewsletter

Category:

Child Care Center, Curriculum, Family Child Care, Health/Safety, Playground

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Fun Summer Camp Activities

kids with sunglasses

 

I can hardly believe that June is already here! In fact, it seems like I was just writing my business goals for 2013 and here we are half way through the year.

This week, I thought I would share some fun Summer Camp Activities with you to provide you with more great ideas  for the kiddos enrolled in your Summer Program or Camp.

In fact, I love it when the summer comes, because it usually means; more kids, lots of warm weather, fun field trips and lots of fun Summer Fun!

Here are my Top 5 Summer Camp Activities:

  1. Painting while wearing Sunglasses. This activity is so cool. Simply invite the children to wear sunglasses while they are painting!
  2. Painting with Flip Flops. Provide the children with old flip-flops, construction paper and paint. Instruct the children to dip their flip-flops in the paint to make flip-flops imprints on the paper.
  3. Summer T-shirt Art. Simply give each child a white t-shirt, provide the children with paint and seashells to make seas shell imprints on their t-shirts. Be sure to paint the words: Summer Camp!
  4. The Tiny Tot Travel Station.  I borrowed this idea from the mailbox magazine about 10 years ago and I still implement it in my program today. Simply, provide the children with luggage, travel brochures, a telephone, luggage tags to practice writing skills, add clothing to practice packing skills, post travel deals on the wall and to enhance the children’s imagination;  encourage the children take a trip to their favorite place by boarding their pretend airplane. Be sure to make a big sign that is Titled: Tiny Tot Travel Station!
  5. Beach Ball Fun Outdoors. Be sure to take beach balls outdoors to have lots of Summer Time Beach Ball Play!

What do you think about my top 5 summer camp activities? Feel free to share your top 5 Summer time activities. Be sure to Subscribe to my weekly Child Care Business Weekly eNewsletter or Email tips. Click Here

 

Have a Great Summer!

Shiketa

 

 

Category:

Curriculum, Lesson Planning, Summer Program

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