Activities are a great way to build stability and opportunities for kids. However organizing activities for any age, spells headaches and frustration for most people without the precise training. The process is split into many different steps; some longer than others but all are vital to designing an activity that will keep the kids coming back. Putting together an effective activity takes: a great deal of planning, incentives to keep them engaged and rules to keeping them safe.
For example, I once had a origami project planned. Little did I know that I was working with kids aged 6-8. At the end of the day the kids were more frustrated than they had fun because the activity was too complex for the age group. You also need to take into account how long it will take to do the activity as most often than not you will have only an hour. Make sure you have adequate time to execute the activity. Don’t forget to have a backup plan at hand because not all things will work out the way you wanted it too. You need to devise a backup for almost everything as even at times the whole activity does not work out as planned.
Before anyone does something they have to be properly motivated. Luckily for kids, they can be easily motivated by the basics of rewards including prizes or recognition Sometimes, they are in it because their parents force them to other time they are in it because all the cool kids are in it. The best method is to reward them only when they are doing good and on task. An example that works well with me is that I usually pass out the art materials (when I’m doing an art project) to the quietest group. Hopefully this encourages them to keep the noise level at level possible to do an art project.
Now the planning is done, it is time to execute. Before you start, it’s important that you elaborate on the activity and explain the rules to avoid any confusion. Usually they already have an idea of the activity...