Before or After School Program -- 4 Easy Upgrades

Many child care centres across the country are now pulling double duty: caring for infants and toddlers during the school day but school-age students before and after school.

Here are 4 great ways to upgrade your child care space for older students.

Check out our entire Before and After School and Camps collection for more ideas.

1. Lock it roll it

As child care providers you know that safety is paramount.  In a centre encouraging self-directed activity and clean up, storage of age and size inappropriate toys and resources is essential in a mixed age environment. 

The School Age Hinge Unit delivers ample storage, rolls but can be locked too. Roll out and unlock for when your older charges arrive for independent access to board games, puzzles, as well as delicate arts and crafts materials. Keeps materials tidy and organized while fostering responsibility in your school age students.

In a school with  iPads and other tablets?  Our new mobile tablet tables share technology with protection and security.  Again, you can roll them in and out of the way when you need them.

2. Build blocks

It may seem strange to suggest block play for school age children. But pick the right blocks, suggest a few challenges – like make a block roll up hill – and you might be surprised, how engaged your older kids can be, unplugged.

Community Playthings Block Sets have the variety of shapes and the proportionality to explore key concepts in physics, math and art. While the hardwood construction is durable and satisfying to handle.

While a set of 1000 Keva planks inspire architectural discovery such as cantilevering and latticework.   Not to mention Newtonian physics when they try to knock these incredibly strong structure down.  

A Canadian created a YouTube animation video, virtually knocking down a Keva building that has been since generated over 18 million views!  ("Bullet physics" refers to the open-source physics programming/animation software that works very fast).  It's quite likely that some of your school age kids are aware of Keva planks through this growing YouTube subculture.

3. Indoor outdoor

Louise Kool Playground Sets inspire physical activity outside or in the gym. They’re a great value too.

Archery is a levelling gross motor activity engaging boys, girls, a wide range of ages and physical abilities, equally. Activate gross and fine motor skills plus concepts of flight, momentum, gravity and more with our new 100% safe archery sets.

4. Stock up on Arts and Crafts

Modelling Dough – multicultural hues and air dry modelling clay and Crayola oil pastels can inspire student age artists. While the rich hues of Washable Crayola markers class pack and Children’s Earth Natural Paint are a safe-bet for an atelier serving students from toddler to school-age.