Chapter 2: Program Activities for Healthy Development
2.1 Program of Developmental Activities
2.1.4 Program Activities for School-Age Children
2.1.4.1: Supervised School-Age Activities
The facility should have a program of supervised activities designed especially for school-age children, to include:
- Free choice of play;
- Opportunities, both indoors and outdoors, for vigorous physical activity which engages each child daily for at least sixty minutes and are not limited to opportunities to develop physical fitness through a program of focused activity that only engages some of the children in the group;
- Opportunities for concentration, alone or in a group, indoors and/or outdoors;
- Time to read or do homework, indoors and/or outdoors;
- Opportunities to be creative, to explore the arts, sciences, and social studies, and to solve problems, indoors and/or outdoors;
- Opportunities for community service experience (museums, library, leadership development, elderly citizen homes, etc.);
- Opportunities for adult-supervised skill-building and self-development groups, such as scouts, team sports, and club activities (as transportation, distance, and parental permission allow);
- Opportunities to rest;
- Opportunities to seek comfort, consolation, and understanding from adult caregivers/teachers;
- Opportunities for exercise and exploration out of doors.
RATIONALE
Programs organized for older children after school or during vacation time should provide indoor and outdoor learning/play environments that meet the needs of these children for physical activity, recreation, responsible completion of school work, expanding their interests, learning cultural sensitivity, exploring community resources, and practicing pro-social skills (1,2).COMMENTS
For more information on school-age standards, see [The NAA Standards for Quality School-Age Care,] available from the National AfterSchool Association (NAA).TYPE OF FACILITY
Center, Large Family Child Care Home, Small Family Child Care HomeRELATED STANDARDS
3.1.3.1 Active Opportunities for Physical ActivityREFERENCES
- Coltin, L. 1999. Enriching children’s out-of-school time. ERIC Digest (May).
- Fashola, O. S. 1999. Implementing effective after-school programs. Here’s How 17:1-4