Favorite co-op classes for k-1?

[mamakelly]

I"m teaching a full day of K-1 at our homeschool resource center this upcoming year. I have some plans already, but I'm always curious what outsourced classes everyones kids have taken, and what you've liked or disliked about them. 

[2_girls_mommy]

Kindermusik- a video beginning music and piano class. Was good to do the rhythm exercises and such in a group. 

Sign Language- we just did Signing Times videos and practiced for a bit 

Dr. Seuss class- did little units around Dr. S books. Found plenty of free resources online for different books, had a bday party on his bday, etc. 

PE

Some type of art! (of course!) we did it around the themes of holidays, seasons, etc. many times. 

These are some that I can remember. 

 

[Targhee]

Math Circle - math enrichment with literature, games, Problem Solving skills, Logic, puzzles, patterns, and interesting concepts in math (topology, number theory, graph theory, etc).  The kids just took it as play. I had a blast teaching it.

[Lori D.]

My only suggestion is if you're doing a full day with those young ages, be sure to schedule multiple recess periods for free play, and a mandatory quiet time after lunch, to help YOU keep your sanity. lol. For example: 50-minutes (broken into two 25-min. activities), then a 10-minute bathroom break for the entire class (you can practice lining up and walking in an orderly line while you're at it, and bathroom etiquette of leaving the bathroom neat when finished). Then a 30-minute activity, and then a 20-minute recess, followed by another 10-minute bathroom break. That's two hours to accomplish three 30-minute subjects/activities.

As far as things I might have liked for those ages -- mostly things that would have been hard to do with just 2 children, or that were time-consuming or messy which made it harder to have the time to set up/clean up. Ideas:

• Group games would be nice -- something that's hard to do at home if you don't have lots of children. I'm thinking of things like "Duck-Duck-Goose", relay races, Simon Says, Red-Light/Green-Light, various tag games, etc.
• Also organized PE games and activities, esp. if you're able to use equipment that families might not have at home.
• Messy activities that parents typically don't have time/energy for -- science explorations, discovery table (shaving cream, water, bubbles, excavating small items out of a big chunk of ice), etc.
• Art -- esp. messy or involved projects, finger painting, a group mural, etc.
• Music -- chorus (traditional kid songs, folk songs, songs with accompanying hand gestures), music appreciation, small hand instruments
• Health and safety things often are tough to work in there as a homeschool parent, so that could be nice.
• Some Montessori activities could keep things more informal while still learning and help develop motor skills. 
• Inviting in special guest speakers to do special activities or hands-on with the kids. (For example, I'm part of a Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy raising group, and we regularly go to classrooms to give presentations about service dogs, and then show the kids how to approach the dogs and ask if it is okay to pet, and then allow them to pet. It's a great activity for our puppies in training in learning how to be calm and not distracted, and it's great education for the kids!)