Activities for Children and Young People

Understand the role of activity provision in children’s and young people’s settings.

Learning Outcome 1: Indicative Content  

The value of providing activities may include:

• physical development - promotes fine and gross motor skills, encourages co-ordination
• social and emotional - encourages working together, taking turns, fun, challenging
• cognitive and language - encourages concentration, creative thinking, develops language

Different types of activities may include:

• indoor - crafts, leisure centre, games
• outdoor - sport, exploring the environment, visits

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1
  Explain the value of providing activities in children’s and young people’s settings.
  
• 1.2
  Outline the different sorts of activities suitable for a specific age group and the ways in which the children or young people would benefit from taking part.
  

Know how to select activities for children and young people.

Learning Outcome 2: Indicative Content  

Ways to identify suitable activities for children may include:

• matching age and stage of development to different activities
• asking children and young  people what they are interested in
• matching activities to resources available
• environmental factors eg weather conditions

Ways to support children and young people to select themselves may include:

• providing a range of resources for them to choose from
• ask questions to find out what they are interested in
• listen to their suggestions

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1
  Explain how to identify suitable activities for individuals or groups of children or young people.
  
• 2.2
  Outline ways to support children or young people to select suitable activities for themselves.

Be able to plan an activity for children or young people

Learning Outcome 3: Indicative Content  

Materials and equipment may include:

• craft equipment and  materials
• sports equipment
• board games
• cooking ingredients and utensils

Health and safety considerations may include:

• wearing personal protective equipment
• checking  materials are safe to use eg non toxic
• carrying out a risk assessment on the environment

Learners need to give examples of how they will minimise health and safety risks when carrying out activities.

Learners must also demonstrate their ability to plan an appropriate activity in order to achieve this outcome.

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1
  Identify materials and equipment required for a specific activity.
  
• 3.2
  Outline health and safety factors to be considered for a specific activity and ways to minimise risk.
• 3.3
  Prepare a plan for a specific activity including arrangements for set-up, timings, staffing and resources.
  

Know how to run activities in children’s or young people’s settings.

Learning Outcome 4: Indicative Content  

The role of the practitioner may include:

• making sure the environment is safe
• ensuring there is sufficient equipment that is appropriate for the activity
• making sure everyone knows how to participate in the activity
• observing the children during the activity to make everyone is safe, participates, has fun etc
• joining in, if it is appropriate
• supporting those who may need help

Welcoming strategies may include:

• having identification badges
• using a buddying system
• having taster sessions so the child becomes familiar with the activity before participating
• explaining the activity on a one-to-one basis

Reasons why it is important of explaining the  rules in terms appropriate to the age group may include:

• everyone understands how to participate
• everyone is following the same rules
• it is fair

Strategies to encourage participation may include:

• letting them  watch from the side and allowing them to join in when they are ready
• encouraging them using appropriate body language eg beckoning them in
• partnering  them up with another child of a similar age

Ways to deal with conflict include:

• distractions, depending on the age of the child
• discuss the issue and agree ways to resolve the problem
• withdraw  the children until they are ready to participate

Ways of bringing activities to an end may include: 

• everyone has had a turn
• warn everyone that the time to the end of the activity is in a set number of minutes
• begin to tidy up

Assessment Criteria

• 4.1
  Describe the role of the practitioner in facilitating activities for children and young people.
  
• 4.2
  Describe strategies for making children or young people feel welcome
• 4.3
  State why it is important to explain the activity and rules and boundaries in terms appropriate to the age group.
  
• 4.4
  Describe strategies for encouraging children or young people to take part in activity.
• 4.5
  Describe ways of dealing with conflict between participants.
  
• 4.6
  Describe how to bring an activity to an end.

Know how to evaluate activities in children’s or young people’s settings.

Learning Outcome 5: Indicative Content  

The value of reviews and evaluations may include:

• opportunity to learn from others
• help with future practice
• builds confidence

Ways to reflect on activities may include:

• asking the opinions of other leaders
• asking  opinions from participants
• compare with previous occasions

Assessment Criteria

• 5.1
  Explain the importance of reflection and evaluation of activities.
  
• 5.2
  Describe how to reflect on and evaluate activities.