what activities for 2 boys aged 5 and 8

[bmz]

would you do THEMED activities with after school children or just arts and crafts, park, homework (any other activities please) for this age group. I do different THEMES for a 3 year old that i care for but not too sure about the older ones. regards

I think you could follow through any themes you're already doing with this age group if you like to work this way, just up the difficulty levels and maximise their input- for example, instead of making butterfly cakes ofr a bug theme as you might with a three year old, give them icing pens, biscuits and sweets and get them to design their own buggy biscuits.

If my schoolchildren see what the younger mindees have been doing, then they sometimes express interest in doing the same thing.

More often though, particularly as the weather is so nice, they really prefer to let off steam in the garden (swingball, big swingset/climbing frame, ball games etc.) We often set up an obstacle course and time each other and, to make it more difficult, do it blindfolded too!