Materials and Equipment for School-Age Programs

School-Age programs need sufficient materials to support program activities and number of children. Materials should be developmentally appropriate for the age range of the children in the program. There should ample storage space for materials and projects or games that take more than a day to complete. The storage units or shelves should be accessible for children. There should be a variety of chairs and tables and they should be the appropriate size for the children.

Materials Checklist for School-Age Interest Areas

Dramatic Play Area

apron (for man or woman)

books of simple plays

cooking utensils

costumes, hats

dishes

dress-up clothes (male and female)

empty food containers

items that reflect diverse cultures

jewelry

materials for making more puppets

miscellaneous props for plays

plastic fruits, vegetables, and foods

plastic flowers

pot holders

prop boxes related to specific themes (E.g., travel agent, magic show, auto mechanic, fitness club)

puppets

shoes

silverware

standard pots and pans

suitcases and purses

tablecloth or mats

telephones (at least two)

Board Games and Puzzle Area

board games of varying levels of difficulty such as: Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, Connect Four, Monopoly, Scrabble, Jenga, Mancala, Tri Bond for Kids, Yote (African checkers), chess, Stacrobats, checkers, backgammon, Stratego

crossword puzzles and word games

jacks and pick-up sticks

playing cards (standard deck and specialized games)

puzzles of varying levels of complexity

Math Area

Abacus

attribute blocks

beads and laces

board games that encourage math skills (e.g., The Allowance Game, Math-24, Four First)

calculators

colored inch cube blocks

geo set

legos

magnetic board and numbers

paper and pencils

parquetry blocks

pegs and pegboards

play money

rulers, yardsticks, measuring tapes, meter sticks

Tangrams

Blocks and Construction Area

boards

colored inch cube blocks

complete set of unit blocks

Construx

crates, large appliance boxes

Erector Sets

giant paper fasteners

Knex

large hollow blocks

Lincoln Logs

sheets of cardboard or Dry-Wall

sheets or large pieces of fabric for tents, caves or clubhouses

small blocks (Legos, Bristle Blocks)

small cars and trucks

tarps

traffic signs

wood or rubber people and animals

Music, Movement and Dance Area

blank tapes to record music

CD or tape player

dance props (scarves, capes, streamers, pom-poms)

musical instruments (e.g., tambourines, sticks, castanets, drums, auto harp, ukulele, guitar, electric keyboard)

storage cabinet or shelves for resources

variety of CDs or tapes

Creative Arts Area

aprons/smocks

beads (tri-beads, Indian beads, etc.)

brushes, all sizes

candle-making supplies

chalk, crayons, pencils, markers

clothes pins, socks, lunch bags, egg cartons

felt, construction paper, wallpaper, manila paper, burlap

finger paints and paper

foil, cellophane, art tissue

glitter, google-eyes, feathers,

glue, paste, masking tape, clear tape, stapler

magazines

needles, thread, yarn, velcro, fabric

paints

popsicle sticks, Q-tips, cotton balls

recyclable items: grocery bags, milk cartons, plastic milk jugs, plastic lids, cardboard tubes

rubber bands, paper clips, paper fasteners, staples

rulers

scissors, hole punch

seeds, nuts, beans

sponges

straws, buttons, toothpicks, pipe cleaners

styrofoam, cardboard, poster board

Quiet Area

Dictionaries

World Almanac

Guinness Book of World Records

local newspaper

tape or CD player with headphones

local, U.S. and World Maps

tapes and CDs

globe or national or international atlas

writing supplies (paper, pens, pencils, erasers)

computer with a variety of software (may be placed in other interest areas)

Books (a variety of fiction and non-fiction that reflect children"s abilities and interests without using stereotypes)

current events boards (maintained by children) for community, sports, and music news and scheduled events

decorations (pictures, posters)

display shelves for books and magazines

magazine on topics of interest to children(e.g., sports, cars, music, pets, hiking, fitness, animals)

flannel board, puppets, and props for story-telling, role playing, and problem solving

several large pillows, beanbag chairs

Cooking Area

bowls, measuring cups, and spoons

can openers

cookbooks, recipes

food posters and nutrition charts

mixing spoons

pitchers

pot holders

pots, pans, baking sheets

spatula, rolling pin

spray bottles, paper towels, sponges for cleaning

tablecloths

timer

Science and Nature

General

reference materials (books, magazines, charts & posters) related to currents projects and display)

access to water

balance scales

containers (basins, jars, cans)

egg and clock timers

hand lenses

hotplate or electric skillet

mallets and tools for taking things apart and/or exploring the insides

microscope and slides

notebooks and pencils

old clocks, radios, and machines

rocks, seeds, nuts to take apart

rulers and yardsticks

tape measures

tools (trowels, beaters, sieves, measuring cups, scissors, mixing utensils, pitchers, clippers, pumps)

Natural Science

ant farm

aquarium

bird feeders

cages with removable bottoms for pets or visiting animals (if allowed)

collection containers

gardening containers, weeds, soil, and tools

insect nets and boxes

plastic bags for viewing insects, sand, earth, and water

terrarium with glass cover

Physical Science

astronomy kit

balloons

barometer

basins

basters

batteries

bicycle pump

bubble pipes

electric bells with wires and dry cells

gelatin

hose pieces

magnets and related objects

mirrors

oil, colorings, and powders for water experiments

pendulums

photography kit

prisms and crystals

salt

straws

thermometers (indoor and outdoor)

tuning fork

weather vane

Woodworking Area

assorted screws and screw eyes

assorted nails

books and or kits with instructions, easy projects - bird houses, small boxes)

bottle caps, wooden wheels, leather scraps, fishing line (for making simple instruments)

C-clamps

dowel rods

dry-wall sheets

hammers

hand drill and bits

pegboard or shelf for storing tools

popsicle sticks

protective eye goggles

ruler

sandpaper

saws

screwdriver and screws

soft wood (pine and balsam)

sturdy workbench

t-square

tongue depressors

vise

wood glue

Collections Area

This area may begin with displays prepared by the staff to get children interested in collecting. From then on, children can collect, research, and display items such as the following:

autographs

bird nests

miniatures

bottle caps

buttons

music boxes

coins

comics

puppets

decals

dolls

recordings

flags

insects

shells

jokes

kites

stickers

license plates

marbles

travel souvenirs

magic tricks

maps

trading cards

matchbox cars

patches

postcards

rocks

stamps

model cars, trains, planes, ships

Physical Skills and Health Area

beanbags

ring toss

horse shoes

kickballs

volley balls

rubber balls

playground balls

soccer balls

footballs

bats, softballs, wiffle balls, Nerf balls

jump ropes

tumbling mats

croquet set

badminton set

frisbees

wheeled toys (roller skates, bikes)

air pump for balls

yo-yo

hoops

table hockey

table tennis

bumper pool

shuffleboard

bowling set

batons

Resources:

Caring for Children in School-Age Programs: A Competency-Based Training Program Volume 1, Koralek, Derry, Newman, Roberta, Colker, Laura. Washington, D.C. Teaching Strategies, 1995.

A School-Age Care Program Guide, California Department of Education. Sacramento, CA, 1994.

HALF A CHILDHOOD: TIME FOR SCHOOL-AGE CHILD CARE, Bender, Judith et al. Nashville, TN. School-Age

WCCIP • 2109 S. Stoughton Road, Madison WI 53716• Ph 800.366.3556 • Fx 608.224.6178
These tip sheets developed by WCCIP, March 1998 with funding from the WI Dept. of WFD, Office of Child Care, and DHFS