Jan/Feb Class Suggestions BCERC

Here are 70+ ideas I had concerning classes/activities we could do at the center in the future. If you would like to teach or participate in any of these classes, just let me know and we'll work something out.

* Culture Club Days--Focus on one culture/country per day. Learn about the various different cultures as you prepare & sample their foods, listen to native music, learn about their foods, games, dress, language, traditions, holidays, geography, climate, religion, literature, & customs. Recreate art/craft projects, find out where they are located on the map, learn a native dance, view artwork of the country's famous artists, read native fairytales/legends, and more.

* Chess Club/Checkers Club (Once the children know how to play, this can be an organized time for playing)

* Surprise a friend or neighbor with a May Basket! We'll construct both the basket & the flowers and decorate the baskets.

* Make a "leather-like" vase and "forever flowers"--Bring a plastic bottle (individual water/soda bottles) to the hall and we'll give them a faux finish so they resemble leather. Then we'll create tissue paper flowers and spritz them with fragrance. What a great gift to yourself or someone you care about!

* Stained Glass bottles and bookmarks--Bring a clear glass bottle to the hall and we will use tissue paper to turn it into a work of art! Likewise, we'll *stain* bookmarks with tissue paper and add tassels for a great-looking way to keep your place in your next novel.

I'll supply the balloon, the paper, and the paste. You decide what you want to make--a piñata, a mask, a bank, a bowl (bring a bowl & either Vaseline or Saran Wrap), etc. *Trash* is also useful in this project, so bring some along if you'd like (Example--a piece of a paper towel tube can be used for the bottom of a bowl, a handle, animal legs, snouts....) Parents need to accompany children. Also note that this project will still be wet when it's time to leave the center for the day. Bring something to take it home in.

* Garden Stones--We'll make 8" x 8" cement stepping stones for the garden or walking path. Children get to express their creativity as they decorate them with their choice of available materials.

* Plaster making & painting--Come use my molds to make adorable plaster shapes which you can paint when dry (they don't take very long to dry). You can then add a magnet or pinback to them if you wish.

* Silkworms! Come learn about raising silkworms. We'll start off with an informative piece on the life of a silkworm, followed by a handout, & then you will get to meet Amanda's pets!

* Ladybugs! Come learn about raising ladybugs. We'll start off with an informative piece on the life of a ladybug, followed by a handout, poems, songs, stories, snack, & a craft. Then you will get to meet Amanda's pets and take one home with you (with parental permission!)

* Dissections--Ever wonder what the insides of animals look like? Curious about how their bodily functions differ from ours? If so, join us while we explore the wonderful world of biology! We'll dissect a new animal/part of an animal each week for 7 consecutive weeks.

* Logic Class--If you love manipulating numbers, this class is for you! Squeamish about math? That's OK, too!

Students will focus on higher thinking skills as they work logic problems and math *magic*, which will help prepare them for algebra concepts. We'll play around with numerical analogies and more. A lot of the class time will be spent working in groups and solving team challenges. We will use a few different workbooks, as well as photocopies from logic magazines and various other sources.

Students must be at least 10 years old or older and be solid in their basic math facts (simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division).

* Candle Making--Come learn how to make your own candles. You will add color and scent to the wax and choose from assorted molds. Children under 10 need to bring an adult.

* Soap Making--Let's make glycerin-based soaps! You will choose from assorted colors, scents, add-ins, and molds. Kids under 10 bring an adult.

* Homemade Bath Products--Bath salts, shampoos, face masks, hair conditioners, moisterizers, and lots more can be made from items around the home and/or those readily available from drugstores. We'll meet one a week for 6 weeks to make the different recipes and try them out on each other. Girls 10 and up.

* Let's dye Easter eggs! Bring your own hard-boiled eggs in a labled carton. We'll provide many different types of dyes and techniques to make beautiful Easter egg creations.

* St. Patrick's Day Pot of Gold--Bring a clay pot with your name on the bottom. We'll turn them into pots of gold and fill them with a treat. Great gift for the grandparents!

* Edible Spring Bouquet--Bring a clay pot with your name on the bottom. Each child will make 3 delicious chocolate flavored, but spring colored lollipops and decorate the pot they'll be "planted" in. Adorable gift!

* Quilling--Learn about the fine art of quilling! Quilling uses very thin strips of paper and tools which help to shape them. The shapes are then glued together and/or to a backing to create a beautiful picture. We will be making handmade cards.

* Electricity--do you get a "charge" out of electricity? We'll discuss the basics of how electricity works, the origins of electricity, and how it is used in our everyday lives. Then we will make our own generators of electricity

* Scrapbooking--This class is for beginners and those who wish to gain new ideas for their pages. Please bring the basics with you--a scrapbook album, papers, stickers, & photos. Let me know if you need help choosing materials. I will allow you to use my punches, cutting tools, & pens.

* Newspaper Club--We'd like to publish a newspaper about the BCERC. If you would be interested in being a journalist, photographer, editor, or other staff member, please come to the first meeting.

* Book Discussion Group--We'll meet the last Thursday of each month. We can either all read the same book and then discuss it or we can each read a different selection and then present our opinions and recommendations to the group. Perhaps a mix of the two styles would be desired. Come to the first meeting and we'll discuss what we'd like to see happen. Fluent readers with a 4th grade or older reading ability, please.

* Peer Tutoring--Do you need a little extra help with your schoolwork? Do you think you might understand the work better if it were explained by a peer? Would you like to help others with their studies? If either or both situations sound appealing to you, consider joining the Peer Tutor Club

* Current Event Discussion Group--Do you enjoy reading the paper and watching the news? Are you interesting in current events? Current events are an important part of education--they are history in the making! The participants of this group will bring in pieces of news (newspaper clipping, online articles, news reports, etc) and present them to the class. We can then discuss each event & give our opinions openly and freely.

* Polymer Clay--do you enjoy sculpting with clay? Ever wonder just what you can make with clay? Come join us to find out! Bring your own Sculpty brand or similar clay--at least 5 (1 oz) blocks of different colors.

* Come to this workshop to learn about setting up Learning Centers. You'll learn how to create your own independent learning tools for children of all ages. These center activities are largely hands-on, mostly self-checking, and easily adaptable to a multitude of growing skills and learning styles. Best of all, many of the activities can be made from objects most of us already have around the house!

This class will focus on 8 different forms of handiwork--one new project each week. Your children will acquire and refine their fine motor skills as they learn to:

Since we plan to expose the children to so many various forms of art each week, there will be projects started which the children could then choose to finish at home. We will show them HOW to do it and help them begin in that hour. Children may bring past weeks' projects in with them for additional help, if needed. You may pick and choose which classes to attend. Costs vary, depending on the project.

* Baby-sitting Course--Boys and girls ages 11 and older who are interested in being a Mother's Helper/Babysitter will gain a lot of insight from this course. We will discuss safety first and foremost. CPR and First Aid will be covered, along with ideas for comforting & entertaining children. The *business end* of the childcare world will also come into play, helping the future baby-sitter find and keep jobs.

* Remember Shrinky Dinks?? Come reminisce or discover this fascinating activity! Each child will have a half sheet of shrink plastic--enough for a large picture. You then freehand or trace an image, color it in, and bake it in the oven. You can even make it into a necklace with the lanyard & beads I provide or add your own keychain.

* Spring Garden--styrofoamfoam veggie and flower gardens, created with tissue paper, pipecleaners, craft sticks, construction paper, and buttons. Real cute!

* Spelling Bee. Contestants will be given a list of grade-appropriate words to study at least two weeks prior.

* Jello Eggs--Come to the kitchen to make this unique spring treat. We'll make jell-o eggs. You can make solid jello eggs with my plastic molds or use cookie cutters to produce egg shapes. We can decorate the latter with sprinkles, whipped cream, and candies.

* What can you do with wood? A local lumberyard generously donated a lot of wood scraps. Bring a hammer. I'll provide nails, sandpaper, and wood glue.

* Make finger pincushions. A great gift for mom, grandmom, or any other special person in your life. We'll use plastci bottlecaps to make these adorable and handy pincushions which then rest on your finger while you sew. Children under 10 do need a grownup's help.

* Eggsperiments Day--We'll perform a number of amazing eggsperiments using raw and hardboiled eggs. We'll end the class with the Great Egg Drop. Participants will be given 2 weeks to come up with an apparatus no larger than 12" square that will protect their RAW egg when dropped from the Hall Loft! All ages are welcome. Non-members are invited for the Great Egg Drop only.

* Shakepeare is Elementary: Kids as young as 8 can begin to familiarize themslves with the life and (lighter) works of William Shakespeare.

* Wars: An overview of each of the major wars--when they happened, who was involved, why they fought, where it all took place, who won, etc.

* Democracy for Young Americans: Civic lessons on how our country runs. We'll study the major documents of America's history--The Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, etc.

* PA History: As required by the PA Homeschool Law, the children will learn about the history of Pennsylvania.

*Safety Class: Also required by the PA Homeschool Law. Children will learn about general safety and fire safety. Perhaps someone can arrange for the fire company to bring a truck over!

* Sports Teams: Those who wish to can form teams of children to play regular games of soccer, baseball/t-ball, kickball, etc.

* Basic Skills: Those with children on the same skill level can arrange to hold classes on certain skills--addition, multiplication, decoding/reading skills, telling time, money concepts, etc.

* Book Buddies: This effort could pair younger children with older students. The younger ones could read to the fluent readers, while getting help with the more difficult words. The older students will polish their skills by reading aloud to the younger children.

* Babysitting Co-op: Parents with young children may wish to form a co-op. If we can get 8 parents to each volunteer one hour a week to sit in the Toy Room, parents can feel secure leaving their children to play while they teach/assist in a class, enjoy an activity with their other children, or just grab some quiet time.

Bring your curriculum--texts, readers, workbooks, manipulatives, & learning aids, as well as fleamarket items--clothes, toys, household items, etc. FREE space & table for BCERC Family Members. Non members may rent a space (table included) for a reasonable fee.Anyone at all is welcome to come shop! There will be activities for the children during this time, too.

Rain or shine. If the weather cooperates, you may choose to set up outside if you wish, but we'll have plenty of space indoors as well.