Want summer care for the kids with a twist? Look no further than the Out of School Care Summer P.L.A.Y. program.
Want summer care for the kids with a twist? Look no further than the Out of School Care Summer P.L.A.Y. program.
Site supervisor Shauna Hannin says the program offers some structure for the kids over the summer break, but also provides a wide variety of activities to keep them busy.
“It keeps them moving all summer long and it’ s something different every single day,” she said.
There is an activity planned for every day starting ranging from swimming trips to guest speakers, The kids go on weekly field trips and are working on a garden they planted at Uganecz Farms near Hylo.
Portage College’ s Be Fit For Life Resource Centre has partnered with Northern Lights School Division to bring physical literacy to the children registered in the program for the summer, says BFFL coordinator Deb Menard.
Through the Physical Literacy and You (P.L.A.Y.) program, the kids learn to develop the knowledge and movement skills in a variety of environments. Every day, the BFFL coordinator works with the kids to get them moving for 10 minutes on the hour and for an entire hour, works with them on an activity that will develop a skill such as hand-eye coordination and balance.
Menard says the activities offered at the summer care program introduce the kids to sports in a fun way so they make physical activity a part of their day-to-day life. It may even pique their interest enough that they join a school varsity team.
“The goal is to get kids active for life and to get them moving confidently and competently in a variety of environments that they may actually develop into sports skills,” she said.
The daily fee that parents pay is how the program covers its staffing costs, so the staff are getting creative with fundraising to cover field trips. Some of the trips the kids will be going on over the next few weeks include Winston Churchill Provincial Park, the LaunchPad Trampoline Park in Edmonton and Jurassic Park near Gibbons.
“We are really trying to promote our Nickel Carnival on Thursday July 17 with all sorts of fun games for kids of all ages. We encourage people to come out and buy a hotdog or bag of cotton candy to help support our program. The Nickel Carnival will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Central,” said Hannin. “The students will also be holding a garage sale and lemonade stand on Friday July 11 from noon till 6 p.m. at Central School. We also have an ongoing bottle drive. People can contact me to make arrangements to have bottles picked up.”
The Out of School Care Program runs out of Central Elementary until Aug. 29 and is open for kindergarten-age kids and up. The daily fee is $30. For more information contact Hannin at 780-623-1145.
