Belingual kielikerho materiaalopankki

Tips for the start of a club meeting

14/11/2024

In Belingual we suggest having a set routine for the start of the club. Having a routine that you repeat helps both children and adults anticipate what is coming and makes them feel safe an comfortable. If might feel repetitive, but routine is important for keeping order and keeping children attention.

How you structure the start of you club is up to you. There are some suggestion for elements to routinely include at the start of your club.

Welcome everyone - Dependent of the club space, get everyone to sign in. Make sure there is one volunteer welcoming new comers.

Leave name tags and each child and parent can write a name tag (name and where you are from). You can also use masking tape for name tags. Name tags are important because they help you remenber everyones names, but also helps the parents call the other children at the club by name. Rememnber that even if the families at your club are very familiar with each other, you might have new families joining. Calling both parents and children by their names makes them feel welcome and part of the group.

If there are more than one facilitator, do some easy activities with the kids whilst the families arrive: Have the picture cards from the previous club handy and revise the words, a great way to do this is by singing a song from the previous club. Give the children some coloring pens and paper and encourage them to draw something related to the previous club.

Safety walk - Creating a safe space and feeling of safety is helped by a concrete action – a safety wants through the space. You may have new family joining every time. You can get the kids who know the space to show other children the space. Once the space Is familiar to everyone, you don’t need to do this. Make sure to show all new participants the emergency exits and the emergency gathering point.

Roll call - Call each child and parent by their names and welcome them. Go through the names of the children who are not present today. If there are any new families joining, let them introduce themselves to the group and ask everyone to welcome them.

Agree (or recap) what the rules of the club will be. Make sure you have the rules up somewhere where everyone can see them.

Go through days schedule using the picture cards (and written schedule for the day): The facilitator shows a picture card that correlates to the activity, for example " First we will read a book about winter" and show the picture care for reading. Also show the book. You can download a set of ready picture cards below

Hang up the days schedule on the wall where everyone can see it, this will especially parents understand what the schedule for the day is.

Tips: If there is anything specific you need parents to know about the club so that they can help their kids, remember to tell them at the start of the club.

Welcome song: singing a short song that you sing at the start of each club (it can be any song) can be a good way to kick of the activities of the day. Kids will love it when they learn the song and it also acts as a signal to children that club is starting now.