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T o d a y I Dance:

What Children Want After School


by Sandra Kolb and Anne Strickland

The elementary school bell rings. Children pour out of the door. Some head for the big
yellow school buses, some head for cars, but many head for bright vans labeled Kiddy Kare
or Tot Learning Center.

The need tbr after school care has Labor, 1982). Because school hours do mom to pick me up." Many other
increased dramatically in recent years. not coincide with parent working children are happy about the arrange-
According to the Women's Bureau, hours, parents need a safe, convenient ments. Justin, age 8, says, "It's the
Department of Labor, during the past place for their children after school. only place I can play outside and build
five year,,.:, mothers of children under Child care centers have begun to fill torts with Wayne." And Crissy re-
the age of 18 have been entering the la- this need: child care workers have plied. "'Today [ dance at my center.:'
bor force at an average of over half a joined parents and teachers to become What is good after schooi care tbr
million a year. {U.S. Department of part of a "'caring team." school-age children? What do the
How do the children feet about go_ children want and need? k~b thought it
5)mdra Kolb and Anne Strickhmd ~lre pri-
ing to after school child cape centers: would he helpful to survey children
ma 0' grade tetwhers jbr the sdu)ol board of
Alachua County, FL. They both served as Sometimes. children do not have posi- who go to child care centers after
specialists withproject CIRCLE, a federally tive feelings. Josh, age 5. described school. During intbrmal conversations
funded (IV-C) early learning model pro- his after school care center as "'the we asked the children what they liked
gram, place where I just sit and wait for my best and least about their after school
SPRING 1985
19
day care. The children were kin- live in areas where year-round climate children like to play after school, and
dergarten through third grade students prohibits outdoor play during certain to play outside as much as possible.
in two public schools in a medium- times of the year. Children enjoy using all types of play
sized central Florida city. The results Organic,ed games, .worts. dancing, equipment. Most centers have swings.
of ovcr 100 informal conversations and fiehl trips. Over 20% of the slides, climbing gyms, and crawiing
with children ages five to nine children told us that like Ibotball, soc- tunnels that children prefer to play on,
follows. cer, swimming, and field trips best. School-age children are eager users of
Best programs provided lessons or op- climbing nets (cargo nets) and hori-
Findings portunities at the center. Others trans- zontal ladders. Since most of a center's
ported children to these activities. outdoor space must be shared with
What ChiMren Like Tammy, age 7, excitedly had her class- preschoolers, a schedule should be
room teacher hold her dollar because c o n s i d e r e d that allows the after-
Free, unstructured outdoor plan "'today is the day we go skating after schoolers to play without interferring
Over 50% of the children told us that school.'" with the younger children. Outdoor
playing outside was what they liked to
Playing with friends. Approximately preschool equipment is usually inap-
do best. Many mentioned equipment: propriate and unacceptable to schoota-
10% of the children said they liked
monkey bars, swings, and merry-go-
playing with friends, usually in con- gers between the ages of 8 and t2.
rounds. Many others mentioned or-
junction with outdoor play. In school The children we surveyed also en-
ganizing their own games in this flee
c o n v e r s a t i o n s and stories m a n y joyed interacting with each other in a
outdoor atmosphere: building forts,
children mentioned their after school variety of games such as tag, catch,
making up plays, organizing clubs.
care friends in the same manner that kickball, and races. Adequate outdoor
Johnny, age 7. had been involved in an
students who go home after school talk space for these activities should be
ongoing game of tag. It began on the
about their neighborhood friends. provided whenever possible.
public school p l a y g r o u n d before
A small percentage of the children
school and continued in the after
mentioned that they liked eaJing, quiet Field Trips
school center. Johnny wrote several
games and working on crafts at the af-
stories in school about this game: Twenty percent of the children men-
ter school center.
"'First Rod tagged me and I was it. tioned some type of organized activity
Then I...'" Free unstructured indoor What Children Don "t Like such as a field trip as an enjoyable
play is liked by schoot-agers if they afternoon experience. More children
Unpleasant relationships with other
might have mentioned this activity if it
children, Approximately 25 % of the
were offered by their center.
children complained about getting
Field trips offer a special opportun-
hurt, getting pushed, "being with the ity for centers to develop well-rounded
little kids," or "'having to help with social and educational activities for af-
the b a b i e s , " Patty. age 6, said, ter school students. These trips can be
"Everytime I go in with the babies, very simple--for example, walking to
they pull my hair." a nearby park or visiting a small busi-
Facilities. Approximately 25% of ness such as a convenience store. Such
the children didn't like something an excursion once or twice a month
about the facilities. They complained will help children look forward to be-
that the centers were too crowded, that ing at the center. Examples of field
there was "no place to put my stuff.'" trips children remembered favorably
They were upset that their library include:
books and school papers got lost or . Visiting a public library
torn.
. E x p l o r i n g m u s e u m s and art
Organized activities. About 25% of galleries.
the children did not like structured ac-
• Investigating parks and nature
tivites that they called "the games we cen~rs
have to play.'" These same children • Visiting public service facilities
said they liked football, soccer, and such as a fire station, police station,
swimming (all structured). The dif- post office, city hall
ference seems to be the element of • Watching spectator sports such
choice. The children enjoy choosing as club games, high school games
among various organized activities. • Visiting stores and service cen-
Implications for After ters such as fast food restaurants, auto
School Child Care Centers repair shops, bookstores, plant nurse-
ries, motorcycle and bicycle shops,
Play hospitals, theaters, shopping malls,
lumber yards.
As our informal survey indicated,
• Visiting building construction
20
DAY CARE AND EARLY EDUCATION
sites siGnal need of a child to be alone or to
• Visiting private businesses such pursue a quiet activity. DI:f:l;l I II,'i]QI:[@
as an architect's office, printing press. New! YOUNG CHILDREN IN
bank CONTEXT: Impact of Self, Family and
Field trips provide opportunities for Society on Development edited by
The staffing needs of an after school Caven S. Mcloughtin and Dominic F.
informal investigative learning which
program differ from those of the regu- Guilo. The influence of personal,
compliments the formal learning of
lar day care program for preschool familial, and social ecological factors
the school setting. on the development of the young
children. Even after a six hour stretch
of reading, writing, and playing, most child and specific factors that facilitate
hTside Activities or hamper development are examined
children come to afternoon care with a in this compendium, Cognitive devel-
Indoor activities were not among the high level of energy. They need stimu- opment, language acquisition, gender
most popular choices of the children. lation, materials, ideas, and people role identity, the plight of the handi-
There will, of course, be days when around them who know how to listen capped child, peer group relation-
and adults with whom to identify ships, and contemporary culture are
outside play isn't possible due to
among the topics discussed, Jan. "85,
weather or staffing considerations. In- (Nieting, 1983). Those entrusted with about $34.50
door activities can be equally exciting school-agers should enjoy the out-of-
and meaningful. Some equipment and doors, like to play games, know some New! PHYSICAL EDUCATION
supplies generally found in child care basic sports skills, be healthy, and FOR PRE-SCHOOL AND PRIMARY
centers can trigger a child's imagina- most importantly, understand the de- GRADES by Noeline Thompson Kelly
and Brian John Kelly. The authors pro-
tion and be used to create play expe- velopmental needs of this age group. pose a versatile activity program that
riences. In addition to regularly employed will stretch children's muscles and
A cassette tape recorder encourages staff, centers can take advantage of op- imaginations, stimulate their creativity,
storytelling, musical expression, and portunities to enlist the aid of student and develop each child's movement
just plain fun. Clay, paper, fabric, nat- teachers, community volunteers, and potential. Activities are sequenced
from simple to complex, may be used
ural treasures (pinecones, leaves, parents to work with after school pro-
indoors or outside, and require little
shells) are easily handled art mate- grams. Nearby universities, junior equipment. Ideas for games, races, re-
rials. Old sheets can become tents and colleges, and some high schools en- lays, and contests are included. Jan.
houses: blocks can become vehicles, courage students and faculty to partici- '85, about 519.50
roadways, and magic castles. Films. pate in local p r o g r a m s involving
Newt. BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
filmstrips, records, and video pro- young children. OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: Diag-
grams appropriate for the ages of the nosis and Treatment by Elinor Ver-
children offer chances to expand infor- Summary viile. Solutions to many behavior
mation as well as to entertain. A small problems of preschool children are of-
What. can children do after school? fered in this, handbook. Such concerns
library can be set up with books and
Can their needs and desires be met? as what worries a child's parents;
magazines tor quiet enjoyment. A management of persistent and serious
Awareness of the needs is a first step.
place where homework can be com- problems with eating, speech, sleep
Child.care workers can build an appro-
pleted would also be useful. Preparing and withdrawal: how to determine
tbods tbr snacks is a sure winner with priam, enjoyable, loving program for why a child behaves as he/she does:
the after school child. school-age children based on those and how to help parents handle their
needs and desires. Good use of com- children better are among the topics
munity resources, both facilities and discussed. Jan. "85, about $37.50
Setting
people, produces a high-quality, iow-
N e w .t EFFECTIVE TEACHING:
It is reasonable that the after school cost program. Preparation and Implementation by
child needs and wants a space at the Resources and bibliographies are Lance E. Bedwe|l, Gilbert H. Hunt,
care center to "call his own." Ideally, available to help plan curriculum and Timothy J. Touzei and Dennis G.
a separate room and outdoor play area activities, and to exchange ideas. Wiseman. The result of clearly exten-
for the K-3 group should be provided. sive research, analysis and formula-
Three current sources of information
tion, this book distills into a manage-
If this is not possible, a set of lockers are: able form the knowledge teachers
can provide a place for each child's need to succeed. In chapters that cor-
school and p e r s o n a l m a t e r i a l s . Richard Scofield. School Age Notes.
respond to the various roles of the
Children take pride in their place and PO. Box 120674 Nashville, TN teacher, the authors focus on practical
37212. aspects of teaching without sacrificing
usually keep it tidy. use materials with
care. and even plan special activities Michetle Setigson, Director. School- important theoretical constructs. The
Age Child Care Project. Wellesley text will prove useful to student and
for the space--a play or a dance show. in-service teachers. '84. 526.50
an art exhibit, a holiday party. Gener- College. Center for Research on
We fill all orders promptly ° Books sent on approval
ally, furniture already present in child Women. Wellesley, MA 02181. "vlas~erCard, Visa & prepaid orders sent pos~:~ald
CataJo~l sent on request • Write o r call (217) 789-8980
care centers is suitable with the addi- Elaine Collins, School-age Specialist.
tion of adjustable chairs and tables for Agency for Child Development. 240
older children. A separate area for the Church Street, Room 210, New
after-schooler can also fill the occa- York, NY 10013. J~

SPRING 1985 21

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