After school club suggestion/ advice please

[summer68]

I'm going to be running an after school club in September and I know what the requirements of the school and local authority are for running a club, but I was wondering if any one wanted to share fantastic things that there ASC do or things you wish they did. Anything you think we should avoid?
Information would be really helpful and boy ,I will look uber efficient for asking- thank you

A homework corner, for those that want to use it.

Running around space for those that want to.

I loved the fact that my dc were able to get out and about in the fresh air most days - there'd be games of one sort or another going on as soon as the other dc had left school.

I liked the fact the dc could go to a school club or music or sports practice and then be able to make their way round to after school club (I guess this depends on the Geography of where your provision is)

I liked the fact there was always space to do some quiet stuff if you wanted, but most weeks there's be something 'interesting' to do, not just 'same old, same old'

Enjoyed by my DSs at ASC this year

knitting and sewing
group games inside and out, ball games
Wii
art
mini snooker / table football / table tennis
Hama beads
Lego

Does your AFC offer snacks? Can you get the kids to help make them?

I liked the fact the dc could go to a school club or music or sports practice and then be able to make their way round to after school club (I guess this depends on the Geography of where your provision is)

This - DS goes to ASC 3 days a week, but also an after school activity club at school once a week. The ASC ladies pick him up from his activity (he is yr1), but the older children walk over (different parts of school grounds).

If possible a snack , at DS's ASC the kids made themselves sandwiches and had some fruit too
Lots of outside playing and games
Like others have said, where possible, a method for kids to get from other clubs to the ASC
Toys without missing parts, the ASC had several things DS wanted to play with but were broken and it made him sad/ cross, examples being jig saw puzzles, models, falling apart toy cars etc
Once a week they went to the local park, though obviously not possible unless the journey is straightforward and short

Wow thank you very much for your replies-
Yes I will have snacks and planned for them to make them- all healthy.
Homework area ( I'm a classroom assistant so would love to help)
It's going to be in school- so children can go to other teachers clubs and then to us.
Thank you " blue champagne for the list - that's all do able.
I'm hoping to have a young lad who organises our football club on board too- for out door sports.
We already have a wii.
Good point about the broken/ missing parts .
I smiled through your posts as I felt I was completely on track - boosted my confidence - thank you.
Any other suggestions really welcome!

For children who are there often, parents may be struggling to find the time to read children's reading books with them. How about a time where older children share a book with or hear the younger children reading?

Ours grow fruit and veg and then when it is ready they harvest it and make fruit crumbles, or sell the potatoes etc.
Went in the other day and they had massive cardboard boxes that connected together as a big maze and they were crawling around them playing 'it'. None of them wanted to go home that day!

Bingo is a big hit at DD's. Lady who runs it has all the official dabbers and calls it like bingo, 'eyes down no talking in the house'. All can play from age 3-11. Prize box is tat from poundland etc. DD wont leave if they are mid game.

Dressing up corner.

When dd was in Breakfast Club in Yr 6 (same principle) they set up a business enterprise. Had to put together a 'formal request' for a start up grant/loan from the Governors (think it was only about £15) and she went to a governors meeting to ask them 'formally', then they spent much of the one term making things to sell at the Christmas (?)/ Summer(?) fete and the money then went to buy something new they wanted in Breakfast club..... think cards / calendars / jewellery and they made some Christmas card surrounds which they then used to put people's photos in, that they took at the fete I think. All went very well (sorry, hazy on the details but it was 5 yrs ago now). Kind of gave them some responsibility as they got older.

Ours has a corner which they turn into a different pretend "business" every half term, eg hairdresser, vets, cafe. Enjoyed by the older and young children, particularly the girls. Ours does waterplay (sprinklers etc) outside in summer term. Weekly picnic on school field in summer term is always a hit. A different craft each week.

Best thing about ours (other than it allows DH and I to both work!) is that the children from all year's mix well, with older ones helping younger ones when necessary, and tea time is done like it would be in a big family, with kids passing things round, getting each other drinks etc.

Sounds like you are on the right track. I love the continuity of it being on school grounds with staff they already know. Fewer transitions = less stress.

Tv goes on about 5-5.30. Personally I like this, it's a normal bit of childhood at the end of a long day.

Staff are quite maternal. Little stuff like forcing drinks down them and making sure jumpers are taken off this weather.

Pancakes on pancake day.

Veg out/book corner area very important, especially for the little ones.

football chap sounds like a great idea, but some multi-skills mixed in to broaden the appeal would be good.

My dd loves her ASC. She is collected from her school and taken to it so feels like it is hometime even though not going home. The thing she likes best is that there are various activities and she can choose. If she wants to just play outside in free play she can. She can do her own craft or the set craft. She is free to choose. She has occasionally gone to the ASC at her school ( the hours they offer don't normally fit what I need) and enjoys it less because it is still at school, same adults she has been with all day and they all have to play outside at the same time doing organised stuff, all inside together etc.

Be aware that the needs of the older children are very different from the needs of the younger ones and are oddly sometimes harder work. things like a chess and draughts set might help as would age appropriate books and magazines.

I like having a separate, quiet area for homework although I would check with parents whether they want their DC doing homework at ASC. Some don't.

I also like opportunities to play out when the weather is good.

Arts and crafts, with the children's work on display on the walls.

I volunteer in a school, and work in the ASC room and am often there when the children come in. The two toys the little ones (Reception and Year 1) flock to are a big dolls' house, and a big garage, where several of them can play at once. I have noticed that the ladies who run the club rotate the toys, so the dolls' house, garage etc aren't there every day, and the jigsaws and games are rotated too, just to keep everything fresh.

A big thank you for all the advice! Especially love the cardboard boxes,role play idea, bingo, chess. And I will bere in mind free play rather than too much guided.
Any more advice...........?

Ds' ASC is fantastic. I might be being miserable but if there was one thing I would change it would be the cookery activities. I guess because it's just easier, the good they tend to make is always sweet, biscuits, cakes etc. This means ds is laden with sweet stuff at 6pm when I'm trying to get him and his 2 younger sisters home, of course they all want to eat the sweet stuff there and then, cue tantrums galore! The good thing they do do though is make sure that if ds had done cookery one week, the following week he won't be allowed to, so at least it's only once every 2 weeks, God i do sound miserable! The last ASC he was at were cooking almost every day, it got too much.