Little Group
"Playing at the park with Clare running around chasing me and going on the swings together" - Phoebe

"Making an advent calander with children! The countdown to Christmas can nearly begin" - Clare

Middle group
"Having Popcorn for snack!" - Lexi

"Emily getting stuck in with dodgeball and really enjoying it after not wanting to try!" - Michaela 

Big Group
"Finally got to be the Mafia" - Hannah
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"Over the last couple of weeks Fleur has been training herself at playing pool before home time as she's the last one in the group.  This week, she won her first game against another young person" Connor

Little Group
"Taking turns on the swings" - Willy
"Joining in a game of football with the children and all of them having a go!  Our team won too, yay! 4-3 even though I scored an own goal" - Clare
"Working together to write a story" - Nicky
Middle Group
"Drawing different animals out of shapes, it was creative" - Joseph
"Playing football with Dario - He said he was winning even though he was in goal" - Michaela 
Big Group
"A really fun couple of games of capture the flag because me team won!" - Brad
While playing rounders for session, one team had fallen behind by a lot of points but the young people on that team showed fight to end the game in a draw" - Connor

New format to the blog that should mean that we get something every week from now on.  
I have a sheet up in the kitchen for staff to not down a child and staff highlight from each group. Here they are.

Little Group -
"The best Dodgeball session with Ollie" - Rowan and Bruno

"Seeing a child have a go at a sports activity which they usually avoid joining in!  They really enjoyed it" Clare

Middle Group - 
"Watching a film and having hot chocolate and marshmallows as a treat" - Bobby, Erin Lyla and Tali

A child trying his best and joining in making lanyards, writing his job role as kids' club.  He was very proud, even wearing it to school the next day" - Michaela 
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Big Group - 
"A very funny game of Mafia.  Albert was so funny as narrator" - Idris

This Thursday, while taking part in a drawing competition, Charlie and Thomas really tried even though they don't normally enjoy art sessions. - Connor

Just wanted to say, it's been really busy at Kids' Club with no spare time in the office!

Every week, each group plans sessions with the children and their interests and we try to keep everything as varied as possible.  

Little group has been great, and now with 3 staff to look after them.  Clare, our usual little group leader now has Nicky with her, and Evie.  Clare and Nicky take lead of sessions and have the option to split the group into the hall and the little group room, so that all children get a choice for first session every week.  

Middle group and Michaela have been busy with lots of quizzes recently, alongside lots of physical games outside and play on the park.  

Big group have had Connor making up lots of different hall games for them to play, and also making use of the weather when it is nice.  They also do some creative sessions, but mostly enjoy playing Mafia or making music on the I.Macs we have in the room.

Sorry for the brief update, but all is well, the children are happy, and so are we.  

​

We have been really busy as usual here at Kids' Club with so many activities going on.  Connor has settled into Big Group and the children really enjoy his sessions.  They have all been creating new games to play in the hall, some Connor has come up with, and others the children have.  All are great. 

Michaela has been keeping her group busy recently with lots of Christmas craft, and it is her group the lovingly decorated the tree in the foyer. 

Clare and Nicky in Little group have made their own tree and made paper baubles to adorn it, each made by one of the children.  It is beautiful.  

All groups have been thinking about the Christmas countdown, and they have all still been able to get outside to play in all weathers. 

Recently, we have been having fire drills to make sure everyone knows what they are doing.  The children have been brilliant, and each time lined up outside swiftly and sensible.  

Lots of Reception children are eagre to find out what snack is as soon as they get to Kids' Club, they eat that, and they all have their own in their bags as well! They are by far the most hungry group I've seen.

Anyway, this was just to say that we're still here, still busy and having loads of fun.  

Getting on the computer to write a blog has become almost impossible and I'd much rather be out there to see the children and parents. I'll keep updating on here as and when I get chance.  Thanks for reading.

​Joe

 seeHello everyone, 
It has been really busy this first half term and I've had no chance to get into the office to write the blog. 
It has been great meeting all the new receptions and their parents, getting to know everyone (even behind the mask) and settle everyone on.  Luckily, everyone seems to have just taken to school and Kids' Club perfectly.  
We've also had some new children join us in the other groups as well, joining friends from school they already know and equally have settled in great. 
We've been keeping groups seperate still, which has been working well, keeping sessions varied as usual an leaning on the childrens' interests.  

Our sad news of the half term that many of you would know already, is that Ryan, our Big Group leader has moved on to another job.  He's been a big part of Kids' Club over the years, he's helped out in Mucky Pups, been our helper in all groups, sharing Big Group with Joe, until moving into having Big Group to himself.  I'm sure you'll wish him well in his new job, we sure do.

In replacement of Ryan, is one of his friends from Youth Club, who again, some of you may know.  
Connor is the new leader of Big Group.  He has previously been working at Moorside Kids' Club and has moved over to us.  With him already working at Youth Club in the same building, Connor knows his way around, worked with some of the children already from Youth Club, and has a great experience in leading sessions.  

I won't go into all the individual sessions from over the last half term, but rest assured, there has been baking, drawing, designing, whiteboard games, sports, music making, quizzes, dancing and much more besides. 

Hope to see you again next half term, have a great break. 

​Joe

Welcome back everyone!
We've had our first week back in summer playscheme, and it has been brilliant.  All the children have quickly got to grips with the new routine and are fantastic at washing hands, staying in their bubble and generally behaving!

Just a little insight into how we are working if you don't know.  

Each group is sticking to their group bubble and in their own rooms.  Which means Big group has their room behind the stage and also the hall.  Middle group has the kitchen and pool room, and Little group is in the endroom with all their toys, books etc.  Each group has free choice in their room or outside.  This means that we've got lots of things out for them to keep them entertained, for example, big group has an old computer to play pinball and freecell and solitare on.  Middle group have been playing chess and Uno, and little group has all the usual toys and books, but also dance videos for children on the TV and singalong songs.  

During session, each group still gets to move around into the hall or outside, but otherwise, their sessions are in their group.  

We've had bookmarks, paper machet, collecting catapillars, masks, board games, Mr and Mrs, accrostic poems, dodgeball, tennis, floor is lava, rounders, whiteboard games... the list goes on.  I think some children have probably been exhausted by the end of the day!

Great to be back, and great to see these children again.  

Looking forward to next week. 

Hope everyone is well, please leave a comment, it would be great to hear from you.  

Kids' Club Team

Sorry everyone that tunes in weekly to the blog, but last week was really busy and I had no time to keep you all updated.  

I'll get to this week instead of recapping last week.

Little Group had Joe taking over for Monday and Tuesday as Clare was celebrating her birthday!  We decided to make Clare a piece of art that the whole group joined in to make.  It was a big owl picture that each of the children tool a section of and coloured it in.  They really took their time and made a beautiful piece.  We have also had some super hero colouring pictures and board games to play with friends. In the hall we have played bounce the ball into the net, which the children then turned into throw beanbags into the net instead.  They loved it. 
The rest of the week has been taken up with making the most of the good weather and visiting the park, and also some joining up with Middle and Big group to play capture the flag.  In the end room, they all had a dance on the PS4. 

Middle Group have also been dancing and as mentioned above, a big game of capture the flag. They also joined Little Group and visited the park.  In the kitchen, they have been playing Name that Tune, which featured songs from famous children's movies and also some chart hits. 
Michaela has been embracing the art life and has done tattoos again, and she has made improvements. 
The group have also enjoyed the geometric animal colouring sheets again from the holiday club, and also have been playing lits of games in the hall, such as Elephants in the Long Grass (which got very noisy) and mini games as well. 

Big Group have been baking!  They made Brownies in a mug which you cook in the microwave.  Each child made their own, and results varied. 
They have also played an incredibly loud game of Mafia in the kitchen, and an equally loud game of Mr and Mrs, too. 
In the Big Group room, they are working on a big piece of art, similar to Little groups Owl.  Although they chose a roaring lion.  Again, each person gets a segment of the picture to then colour in and make their own.  When it all gets joined up again, it makes a unique collaborative art piece. 
In the hall, they have been playing bench ball, dodgeball (in a round robin tournament) and also some Parachute games, along with the big join up game of Capture the Flag. 

Phew.  Loads done. 
Have a great weekend!

First week back and straight back to it, 

Little Group have been discussing things that they did over half term, although lots of them were with us anyway!  They played some great games in the hall, including Captains Coming and Hungry Hippos.  In the other sessions they have played a white board game Clare made up, similar to Beetle Drive if you've ever played it called the silly face game.  Roll the dice, draw a bit of a face.  She also changed it to make a flower to spice things up. 

On Pancake day, Joe made over 50 pancakes so that all the children could have one.  Clare did a session where the children were to design their dream pancake! PS4 has been such a great hit, and the children have been dancing to some of the songs on there again.  They might just be getting better. 

Middle Group have been playing some games of Dodgeball in the hall and also some circle games, like keeper of the keys and a mini disco.  IN the kitchen and endroom, they have been having their games of Bake off.  The whiteboard game made up by Michaela where the children are given a brief and they have to follow the order to design the best cake.  They also made some real cakes in the kitchen, which some parents had to wait for, but then each child got to take home a huge slab of cake.  

Michaela was going to play Just Dance on the PS4, but there was an update, so while they waited, she painted some great tattoos on the children who wanted one. 

Big Group played Floor Is Lava outside, some running games, and also hockey, which is quickly becoming one of the favourite games to play.  They also played their version of dodgeball which is king and queens, where the other players have to defend their VIP, if they get hit, it's game over.  

Craft sessions have been junk modeling with all the craft things we have.  Some children decided to make shields and had to get creative when it came to the resources we have.  

Friday was really quiet for Big Group, so plans changed, and they played the A-Z quiz and some pool after. 

All the children got Pancakes on Tuesday with the choice of chololate spread, golden syrup or lemon and sugar.  Some children wanted all of them...

See you all next week.  Little Group is having a Teddy Bears Picnic one day, be sure to speak to Clare for more information.  It'll just be in the End Room, and we have spare bears if neeeded.  
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We have been crazy busy this week with all our activities across the groups with non stop fun!

Little Group -
The have been den making in the hall with Middle group, using the plastic scaffolding poles to work together and create a home that could fit the whole group in.  There were 2 teams, both shelters were good, although one didn't have a roof.  
They have also played games of Captains Coming in the hall, Hungry Hippos using lots of balls, a trip to the park in the rare time it wasn't raining, and also made an obstacle course. In the end room, they have been playing whiteboard games like treasure Island and Hangman, but also a game Clare made up called Silly Faces, where you have to roll a die and build a face.  Each number corresponds to a facial feature and once you've built one to completion you've won!
Joe did some tattoos for all groups throughout the week, and joined in Little group for their colouring sessions with Geometric Animal sheets.  Little group have also been baking some chocolate cupcakes, making pizzas on wrap bases, using playdough to make different scenes, collaging and Just Dance on the PS4. 

Middle Group have been playing Dodgeball in the hall, Den making with Little Group, and also managed going to the park.  They have also been making masks with paint on card, using the geometric animal printouts to create beautiful patterns and colours, white board games, including Bake Off, where each person is given a task to create a cake with certain elements, and the "Master Baker" who in this session was Joe decided who's was the best cake based on the flavours and looks.  Middle group also made Pizzas on wraps for their snack and have had their share of tattoos as well.  In the end room, the children got to play Just Dance on the PS4 and also did a game of name that tune in the kitchen to Disney songs. 

Big Group have been splitting some sessions into two as sometimes and hour can be too long for some of the sessions, so they have been really busy.  
They have been playing cube games in the hall, some dodgeball, war games, stageball, monkey ball, running games, Hockey (twice) and stool ball.  But they have also been creative, too with Logo Challenge, having to make a logo for a fictional company with a brief along with it.  They have also enjoyed the geometric animals too with lots of creative ways of designing them.  Big group made their own pizzas, and have baked a cake!

There have also been some games played, with Draw, Act, Sculpt, Beetle Drive and Mafia along with Higher or Liar, and also Rocket League on the PS4.  

All this happened in sessions, but then there was free choice time with no end of games of Uno, Chess, Connect Four and Frustration, Table Tennis and Table Football, some children created some brilliant models using plastic cups and lolly sticks and some brilliant games of Heads and Volleys in the hall and some full pitch football matches after lunch.  This week has been brilliant, and that's thanks to the amazing staff putting on some great activities, and the children for all getting involved and having fun.  

That's it for playscheme, back to normal After School next week. 
See you then!