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newandlearning
06-02-2010, 11:40 AM
hi.. am just trying to brainstorm things to do with the LOs afterschool.. in the past no one ate at my place .. now nearly everyone does ..

what kinds of things do you do with your after school children .. I realise this can include quite an age range :) ...

and do you have mainly girls, boys .. how do you manage keeping the LOs entertained and do dinner at same time?

I'd love to hear how everyone else does itxxx

singlewiththree
06-02-2010, 11:49 AM
I prepare snack before I leave for the school run and other than toast which is done when they are here then they come in, wash hands and sit at the table.

then its freeplay with whatever is around they usually leave at 5pm so don't eat tea. I normally offer different things but it gets refused so I mainly leave them to play and just tidy up the snack etc.

beccas
06-02-2010, 11:53 AM
i offer a snack but not untill 5pm as i have lo who go home before then and they have snack before school run at 2pm so they will eat tea at home. i dont offer tea anymore as i felt like a cafe and most was left so now its spagetti on toast, soup, beans on toast, cheese on taost or sandwiches, with a youghurt or piece of fruit, and if they dont like it they dont get anything.

parents are happy with this as they get something else when they get home anyway even when i was doing them tea!!!!

mine have free play some of the older ones do their homework then put the tv on and thats fine they have been doing work at school all day.

suez
06-02-2010, 12:04 PM
it took me a bit to realise the after schoolies just wanna play my 1st day with afters was on monday i only had em till half 5 but i suggested doin tea too by the time they had gone i was shattered id been so busy all day
i have a younger 1 from 8.30-12.15 and was preparing things all day
id made red play dough
mad bisuit dough
made big pot af shepeards pie all by 9.30
id dropped mindee at pre school at 12.15 i took the other mindee to toddlers finished there in time to get my son from pre school then straigh to other school to get after schoolies iv then got 2 hrs to get them to do the bisuits then decorate then eat tea, they wasnt bothered bout doin the biscuits at all by time they went i was cream crackered rushin all day
the next day i was so relaxed we got in and i left them to play!!!

berkschick
06-02-2010, 12:20 PM
I just leave mine to it too!

Sometimes we will make cakes or do craft if it is relevant ie xmas cards, easter things, mothers day, etc.

But generally they just want to play together. They are all differant ages so they dont get to play together at school so enjoy it here.

Lady Haha
06-02-2010, 12:22 PM
I have a loose structure going on for after schoolers or it would turn into mayhem!!!!

Before I leave I set up the playroom table with some bits, lego, playdoh etc
arrive back here at 3.30pm - free play, choose their own toys or play with activity on table

I make tea while they are all playing then, they are normally pretty good early on! I make tea for half four, so 4.20pm, the table gets cleared of toys/activities and wiped down and set up for tea.

Tea will normally last for half an hour taking us to 5pm. I don't eat with the kids, so I'm setting up yogs and fruit etc and clearing up and washing up as I go til 5pm.

At 5pm I will usually have some sort of planned activity for our theme or I'll help with homework. The wii goes on in the lounge then as well.

5.30pm is wind down time, sitting watching tv waiting to be picked up, or junk modelling on the playroom table - junk and craft stuff fully accessible.

I didn't used to have any routine, but now that I have the time just seems to fly by and I have a bunch of well organised kids who know whats coming next!

The Juggler
06-02-2010, 01:11 PM
I always leave paper, glue, scissors etc out and a few different games, like uno etc. but they tend to like to play with the smallworld toys set out for the pre-schoolers (yesterday my two 10 year olds) used their pokemon figures and played with my castle for nearly an hour before tea!

littlies like to get out in garden or sit at the table and do crafts whilst I cook/prepare and older ones often just want to chill with a bit of tv, computer or dress up and sing along to something or other.

I rarely have time for playing with anyone in this mad two hours as I'm busy, cooking, feeding and washing up!

On the odd quiet day I have time for a game of something with the older ones in the kitchen whilst I'm getting the food ready.

Tam's Tribe
06-02-2010, 01:26 PM
I feel that as children spend over 6 hours a day at school, they just want to relax and play afterwards. So they either play with toys (always readily available for them) or go on the PS3 together (we have 4 controllers). I normally make the evening meal in the slow cooker so it is ready for them when we get home from school as they are always starving so while I do the finishing touches and dishing up, the LOs are in the highchair in the kitchen with me playing with toys or we are chatting and singing and the after schoolers are playing.

After the meal, most of my LOs have gone home (5pm ish) and the after schoolers do their homework before home time (I supervise and help out when required) which is around 6pm ish.

I try and sit down with the kids at the meal time and they tell me about school, what they did, who was naughty, who was good, etc. and the LOs are learning from the big kids how to eat with cutlery (it is lovely to watch them copying).

susi513
06-02-2010, 04:51 PM
I find this the most challenging time of day! Goes something like this:

2:45 prepare snacks
3-3:30 collect children. Occasionally visit library or play in park before coming back.
3:40 - 4 pm bathroom visits then snack time. My mindees only get a snack if they've not booked a dinner. Because none of them can manage both. I refill the children's water bottles from school, if they have one, reduces my washing up a little.
4 pm - 4:40 pm homework help, if needed. Then free play (usually construction, board games or anything involving glue, sometimes ict, dancing or karaoke). I don't plan anything specific, there's not enough time to finish anything. We just started doing a show & tell (mindees idea). Emphasis on the tell.
4:40 pm or whenever its ready, dinner. Wash hands then free play
5:15 pm tidy up time. Stories or tv, if time allows. It doesn't usually.
5:30 pm mayhem as several parents arrive at once

Foldaway tables are my best buy. I use tv tables in the playroom if its only one or two to eat, or if only one has homework to do and the larger picnic type tables for group meals/activities. Mindees take turns to be waiter/waitress to help lay the table and clear away. I try to cut down on time in the kitchen by avoiding the grill & hob as much as possible and making heavy use of appliances with timers; slow cooker, convection oven and steamer.

Well above, is the plan. In practice it usually means me dashing backwards and forwards between the bathroom, playroom and kitchen, trying to keep the doorways clear of toys, answering the door to parents who arrive at unpredictable times, looking for precious toys/books from school/socks/hairbands that have been deposited in peculiar places, trying to exchange a word or two with my own children if I actually see them, refilling drink bottles, answering the door to half the village who call on my own children who have already gone out ... Its chaotic to say the least :laughing:

Bananabrain
07-02-2010, 04:09 PM
That really made me laugh Susi, especially the bit about 'booking' dinner.
Someone said to me last week 'I don't know how you do it'
My answer was 'I don't know how I do it either!'

estrelas
07-02-2010, 06:15 PM
I have a loose structure going on for after schoolers or it would turn into mayhem!!!!

Before I leave I set up the playroom table with some bits, lego, playdoh etc
arrive back here at 3.30pm - free play, choose their own toys or play with activity on table

I make tea while they are all playing then, they are normally pretty good early on! I make tea for half four, so 4.20pm, the table gets cleared of toys/activities and wiped down and set up for tea.

Tea will normally last for half an hour taking us to 5pm. I don't eat with the kids, so I'm setting up yogs and fruit etc and clearing up and washing up as I go til 5pm.

At 5pm I will usually have some sort of planned activity for our theme or I'll help with homework. The wii goes on in the lounge then as well.

5.30pm is wind down time, sitting watching tv waiting to be picked up, or junk modelling on the playroom table - junk and craft stuff fully accessible.

I didn't used to have any routine, but now that I have the time just seems to fly by and I have a bunch of well organised kids who know whats coming next!


Same here but i do tea at 5, then we chill out or have computer time after till home time
I used to do tea early then let them play but i found i was still clearing up after they left.
They can play or do any craft we have organised up till 5, then they clear away while I serve tea. Its made iot easier all around :) :)

estrelas
07-02-2010, 06:17 PM
I find this the most challenging time of day! Goes something like this:

2:45 prepare snacks
3-3:30 collect children. Occasionally visit library or play in park before coming back.
3:40 - 4 pm bathroom visits then snack time. My mindees only get a snack if they've not booked a dinner. Because none of them can manage both. I refill the children's water bottles from school, if they have one, reduces my washing up a little.
4 pm - 4:40 pm homework help, if needed. Then free play (usually construction, board games or anything involving glue, sometimes ict, dancing or karaoke). I don't plan anything specific, there's not enough time to finish anything. We just started doing a show & tell (mindees idea). Emphasis on the tell.
4:40 pm or whenever its ready, dinner. Wash hands then free play
5:15 pm tidy up time. Stories or tv, if time allows. It doesn't usually.
5:30 pm mayhem as several parents arrive at once

Foldaway tables are my best buy. I use tv tables in the playroom if its only one or two to eat, or if only one has homework to do and the larger picnic type tables for group meals/activities. Mindees take turns to be waiter/waitress to help lay the table and clear away. I try to cut down on time in the kitchen by avoiding the grill & hob as much as possible and making heavy use of appliances with timers; slow cooker, convection oven and steamer.

Well above, is the plan. In practice it usually means me dashing backwards and forwards between the bathroom, playroom and kitchen, trying to keep the doorways clear of toys, answering the door to parents who arrive at unpredictable times, looking for precious toys/books from school/socks/hairbands that have been deposited in peculiar places, trying to exchange a word or two with my own children if I actually see them, refilling drink bottles, answering the door to half the village who call on my own children who have already gone out ... Its chaotic to say the least :laughing:
:laughing: :laughing: