The document provides guidance for volunteers on planning educational activities for children. It recommends brainstorming ideas with educators, creating enduring themes lasting 2+ weeks, and designing a variety of guided and independent activities considering children's development. A sample weekly plan is given focusing on Latin America. Guidance is also provided on children's physical, personal, social, emotional and academic development to inform activity planning.

2. PLANNING
1. Brainstorm ideas during planning meetings with other
volunteers and educators
2. Utilize these ideas to create an enduring theme what will last 2+
weeks
3. Create a unit of work from chosen theme that includes a variety
of fun, creative and educational activities, both guided THEMED
ACTIVITIES and independent CHOOSING ACTIVITIES
4. Design activities in consideration of the children’s AREAS OF
DEVELOPMENT, always looking to develop their ESSENTIAL
SKILLS
5. Be vigilant of Type of MATERIAL, Type of GROUPING and Level
of DIFFICULTY

3. EXAMPLE WEEKLY PLAN
Mercado Camal/ San Roque
Semana 28/03/11 - 01/04/11
Tema El Mundo/Otros Paises (Esta Semana- America Latino)
Lunes Martes Miercoles Jueves Viernes
Canción Cantamos Cantamos Cantamos Cantamos Cantamos
*Bailar de America
*Statues/ *Golpes Latino con Piedad y
Juego (bumps)/ *Telefono María Belen con
(whisper down lane/ música. *NECESITAMOS
Chinese whispers) ALGO. Hopscotch?? *Hopscotch. *Día de parque.
*Hacemos mapa del
mundo para introducir el
tema. *Cada continento *Continuamos con
Proyecto/Arte un color diferente. piñatas. *Adornamos
*Ponen colores de con papeles de tissue y
papel con goma/ ponen colores diferentes y *Hacemos platos de
animales y otras cosas *Hacemos 4-5 piñatas otras cosas para comida mentiras tipica
tipicas de paises. de paper maché. ponemos adentro. de America Latino. *Día de parque.
*Mapa del mundo en
papel (dos para cada
Materiales mercado). *Música *Chalk. *Platos papeles
*Colores y formas, *Globos (balloons) *Confetti *Papel
picturas del mundo para *Periodicos *Glitter *Fotos para cortar y
poner en el mapa. *Goma *Stickers gomar de comida típica *Día de parque.
*Banderas de paises en
America Latino
Otros Ideas... *Fotos de niños y
animales de paises en
America Latino Mismo de Lunes Mismo de Lunes Mismo de Lunes Mismo de Lunes

5. PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Movement and Space – is about how children learn
to move with confidence, imagination and safety,
with an awareness of space, themselves and
others.
Health and Bodily Awareness – is about how
children learn the importance of keeping healthy
and the factors that contribute to maintaining their
health.
Using Equipment and Materials – is about the ways
in which children use a range of small and large
equipment.

6. PERSONAL, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Children must be provided Aspects of Personal, Social and Emotional
Development
with experiences and
support which will help
Personal, Social and Emotional Development is made up of
the following aspects:
them to develop a positive Dispositions and Attitudes – is about how children become
sense of themselves and of interested, excited and motivated about their learning.
Self-confidence and Self-esteem – is about children having
others; respect for others; a sense of their own value and understanding the
social skills; and a positive need for sensitivity to significant events in their own
and other people's lives.
disposition to learn. Making Relationships– is about the importance of children
Providers must ensure forming good relationships with others and working
alongside others companionably.
support for children's Behaviour and Self-control – is about how children develop
emotional well-being to a growing understanding of what is right and wrong
and why, together with learning about the impact of
help them to know their words and actions on themselves and others.
themselves and what they Self-care – is about how children gain a sense of self-
respect and concern for their own personal hygiene
can do. and care and how they develop independence.
Sense of Community – is about how children understand
and respect their own needs, views, cultures and
beliefs and those of other people.

7. PERSONAL, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Some volunteers Language for Communication – is about how children become
communicators. Learning to listen and speak emerges out of non-
might have more verbal communication, which includes facial expression, eye contact
and hand gesture. These skills develop as children interact with
experience with others, listen to and use language, extend their vocabulary and
children than experience stories, songs, poems and rhymes.
Language for Thinking – is about how children learn to use language to
others however imagine and recreate roles and experiences and how they use talk to
everyone can help clarify their thinking and ideas or to refer to events they have observed
or are curious about.
contribute (a little
Numbers as labels and for counting – is about how children gradually know
or a lot) to and use numbers and counting in play, and eventually recognise and
use numbers reliably, to develop mathematical ideas and to solve
developing problems.
academic skills Calculating – is about how children develop an awareness of the
involving relationship between numbers and amounts and know that numbers
can be combined to be 'added together' and can be separated by
language 'taking away' and that two or more amounts can be compared.
development and Shape, space and measures – is about how through talking about shapes
and quantities, and developing appropriate vocabulary, children use
number work. their knowledge to develop ideas and to solve mathematical problems.

8. ACTIVITIES
INDEPENDENT
CHOOSING GUIDED THEMED
ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES
Puzzles Kickball
skipping ropes Red rover
balls Clapping and singing
hoola hoops Colors (themes)
plastercine/dough Aminals
colour activities Safari
small lego building blocks Villiage
large building blocks (smaller children) Soccer
sand (with containers) Skipping rope
water (toys and containers) Igloo
Etc.

10. COMMON MATERIALS
** this list can change depending on your initiative and of course
budget
**these materials can be used for guided themed activities or
independent choosing activities
coloured card/paper Straws
scarp card/paper brown paper bags
(left over from previous activities) pasta/noodles
wool/thred/ribbon recycled materials
paints (eg. Toilet rolls, plastic bottles)
newspaper/old magazines cotton wool
plastercine/dough glitter
(made from water, flour, salt & water) wooden kebab sticks
paper plates/cups *CD player

11. TYPES OF GROUPINGS
-Whole Group – an opportunity to.......read a story
.......have discussions relating to theme
.......physical activities at beginning or end of
session
-Small Group – an opportunity to........encourage sharing and working as a team
........question children and develop thinking skills
........develop speaking & listening skills
- Individual – an opportunity to........learn more about the children
........for children to share thoughts and feelings

12. LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY
Will depend on.......
.......which market you are working in (eg. Many children in Chiriyacu go to
school in the morning and are therefore willing to take on more challenges)
........the children (eg. Some children can handle, want and need challenges and
some will get up and walk out if they are asked to do too much
.....the Types of Groups (whole, small & individual) allows you to find out what
that child needs.

13. ESSENTIAL SKILLS
WAYS TO HELP CHILDREN ACHIEVE THESE
SKILLS CHILDREN NEED TO LEARN
SKILLS
- encourage a small group of children to work together on a
puzzle
- demonstrate sharing during an activity eg. “Could I please
1- Sharing
use some yellow paper?”
“Who would like to use this colour for their picture?”
“Carlos could Monika use your scissors?”
2- Respect for others -Remind children of PLEASE and THANK YOUś at all times
- encourage children to ask for things using words and
sentences, not just gestures....where possible.
“What is it you would like?”
3- Communication – Speaking & Listening
“Explain what happened?”
- during storytime help children sit quietly
-ask children questions about what they are doing
- encourage a group of children to work together in building
something out of lego
4- Team work
- to create a game using hoops and balls which can be played
as a group
- comment on childrenś progress during an activity
5- Self confidence & appreciation
- rewards for effort and achievement
- question children while they are working on an activitiy
(?Who, What, Where, When, Why & How?)
6- Academic/thinking “What shape have you used?”
“How could you make it move?”
“Why did you choose orange for that?”