After School & Summer Learning

What are the components of high-quality after-school care for children ages 5-12? How can we evaluate these programs? These are the challenges facing caregivers, schools, agencies, and parents as after-school programs proliferate. The School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale®, Updated Edition provides an easy-to-use resource for defining and assessing the quality of both public and private programs caring for school-age children during out-of-school time. This updated, spiral-bound edition is re-formatted so that each Item appears on its own page, along with Notes for Clarification and Questions. The expanded Scoresheet can be copied from the book or downloaded. Selected revised Items make scoring more accurate and informative. 72 pages.

3 years & up. The importance of having a balanced diet is discussed in this series on the different food groups. The use of simple text and large photographs to highlight the subjest matter in a way young children can understand. This book set is useful for discussions about healthy choices and reflects the new nutritional guidelines. At the end of each book, are small photos of foods and activities to choose for an ideal healthy day. Each book uses real-life photography and simple comparisons to explain that some foods are healthier than others and gives readers ideas for creating their own meals. Set of 6 paperback books.

All ages. Meet Obie, the next level of interactive play. Discover games for kids of all ages to play, replay, and come back for more. Children are actively learning while being physically engaged promoting a healthy, active life style for the brain and body. Kaplan Early Learning Company has pre-selected dozens of energizing, popular games to challenge your early learner in areas such as literacy, gross motors skills, math skills, science, music, and more. Bring new excitement to the classroom with our Kaplan exclusive handpicked activities and Obie. Measures 16" x 19" x 4". Recommended mounting height is 8 to 13 feet above the floor. Distance from wall should be at least 8' feet for best results.

All ages. The Beam Mobile lets you take interactive play anywhere with a supercharged projector that can turn any table or floor into an immersive educational play space. 3D sensing camera captures children's movement to making game play fully interactive. Simple projection settings allow you to adjust the size of the play space. Anywhere from a 24" x 36" table to a 6' x 10' floor space. Bulb-free, laser projection allows for worry free projection and consistent brightness and clarity. Fully loaded with ready-to-use educational content, the Beam Mobile also includes Eye Wiz which allows teachers to select from hundreds of pre-designed templates or personalize lessons.

Every age and ability level can play Thumball™. First you toss it and then catch it. Now react to the stimuli under your right thumb. Each panel has words and graphics related to moving and exercise. The response is based on the type of Thumball™ and the player's skill level. If your thumb lands on the title space or Shnoogie space select any space to respond to, it's your choice. Thumball™ gets everybody talking and interacting with ease in a positive social way. Measures 4" in diameter.

3 years & up. Help your children practice balance with these fun stilts with adjustable cord. This activity promotes balance, hand-eye coordination, and gross motor skills. This set comes with an adjustable hand cord and non-marring rubber base rim. Supports up to 175 lbs. Set of 6 pairs in 6 different colors. Size 14" x 9.5" x 9.5".

2 years & up. Create your own sensory tubes with this set of 4 clear tubes with dual openings. Includes 8 solid lids (two red, two blue, two yellow, two orange) and 4 vented lids (red, blue, yellow, orange) to let children explore their sense of smell. Lids easily twist on and off, and hold liquid securely inside. Contents shown are not included. Each tube is 12"H x 2" Diameter.

5 years & up. Students can practice simple subtraction with these Power Pen math cards. They will be able to use the Power Pen (sold separately) for self-checking independent practice. The math cards can also be used in pairs or as a teacher led flash card activity. Each set includes 53 double-sided math cards.

4 years & up. In this jungle-themed set, monkeys fly through the palm trees by their tails, then spin, twist and turn. Colorful set features plastic gears, crank, connectors and base plates for endless building possibilities. Kids develop their own "gears jungle" or use the easy-to-follow instructions. Includes 136 pieces.

The bright and colorful USDA MyPlate Poster highlights how to build a healthy menu and diet with tips for selecting the best choices within each food group. Additional tips include importance of fruits and vegetables, portion control and instilling a love of healthy choices. Laminated poster measures 18" x 24".

Keep your classroom or workspace organized and secure with a Four-Shelf Storage Cabinet. Designed for durability and versatility, this cabinet offers enclosed storaage tht helps protect materials while maintaining a clean environment. Featuring four adjustable shelves, this cabinet allows you to customize storage space to fit a variety of items from papers, to paints, to classroom materials, and more. The enclosed design keeps contents secure while helping maintain a tidy, distraction-free space. Its durable design mkes it a reliable solution for classrooms, offices, and multipupose spaces. Doors can accommodate a padlock. Easy to assemble without tools. Measures 25.5"W x 69.5"H x 18.875"D. Contents are not included.

4 years & up. This collection of books will boost children's self-esteem by encouraging them to do activities they enjoy rather than activities they think they are supposed to do. Each story shows children doing non-traditional gender role activities such as girls going on a nature adventure, boys painting their nails and girls being a pirate. Partial proceeds from one of the books go to accelerating LGBTQ acceptance. Set of 4. Hardcover.

3 years & up. Author-illustrator Leo Lionni is well known for his use of colorful and imaginative storybooks. His books contain messages that center around themes of self-discovery, acceptance, friendship, creativity and the beauty of nature. Many stories emphasize the importance of embracing one's uniqueness, celebrating creativity and the power of imagination, working together, helping each other and valuing relationships with others. Through his stories, children develop an appreciation for the environment, learn about different animals and habitats, and gain a deeper understanding of their place in the world. This set of 8 paperbacks is sure to not disappoint the youngest or oldest of readers. Each book provides a simple lesson in friendship and acceptance. Paperback.

4 years & up. Build vocabulary in a fun, engaging way with the Fox in the Box Positional Words Activity Set. This set has 40 activity cards that tell children to put an animal (depicted on a small card) in the proximity of an object (a tree, a chair, a fox, or a hat). This activity will familiarize children with the function and meaning of positional words and further them along the path to literacy.

3 years & up. Meet Theo the Therapy Dog! This fuzzy lapdog is specially designed to function as a comforting companion. With a slightly heavy weight of 2.5 pounds, this cuddly friend can provide a sense of security to children with sensory input needs. Theo's soft, floppy body can lie across your lap or shoulders, and even sit-up beside you. He's just the right size for carrying along to any environment that can raise stress levels. His warm, heavy body feels lifelike, which can help to relieve stress and sharpen focus. The beads, fur, paw-pads, ears, eyes and nose all provide unique textures for tactile exploration. The hook and loop pocket in his tummy holds a pouch of ceramic beads that emits a gentle lavender aroma. Remove the pouch to heat in the microwave, or chill in the refrigerator.

4 years & up. Immerse children in Indian cultural traditions and experiences with this bright and inclusive book set - Explore Your World: Indian Culture Books. Children will love riding through a bustling city on a tuk tuk taxi, making a rakhi bracelet with their siblings, learning to embrace themselves for who they are, and celebrating Holi, the vibrant festival of colors, as they're transported to India through the beautiful illustrations, engaging characters, and diverse stories found in these books. Perfect for making lessons and storytime culturally relevant, these books can be used to start important discussions with your children on what daily life and traditions are like in other countries around the world and how everyone's culture and experiences makes them special in their own way! Set of 4. Hardback. Note: Components may change occasionally due to availability. We will only substitute components with developmentally appropriate items that serve the same purpose.

4 years & up. Make learning the alphabet even more fun with this exciting POP for Letters™ Practicing Alphabet Recognition and Early Literacy Skills Game. This popcorn themed alphabet game promotes letter recognition, collaborative play, early literacy skills, and fine motor skills. Simply draw a letter from the popcorn box and identify the letter and sound. Be careful not to pull a piece that says "POP". You'll have to put all your pieces back! Includes 100 die-cut popcorn pieces and a box for easy storage.

Grades PreK & up. Twice the dice! Use these double dice to reinforce number concepts, counting, operations and probability. Size makes them great for class demonstration and collaboration. Brightly colored dice come in sturdy storage bucket. Exterior cubes measure 1.25" square. Set of 12 dice.

5 years & up. Get your motor running with real STEM learning! Discover the science of motion through scientific exploration with colorful, engaging tools and hands-on activities. Explore the science of "how things go" as you conduct investigations, solve problems, and explore early engineering. Features 10 double-sided Activity Cards covering all aspects of STEM, plus key science concepts of gravity, inertia, friction, push/pull, and more! Ladder measures 9.25"H, tracks measure 12"L, and cars measure 2.75"L. Includes: 2 Cars, 2 Double-Sided Tracks, 4 Weighted Blocks, Pendulum Ball, Ladder with 2 Removable Bars, Comprehensive Activity Guide with Reproducible Materials, and 10 Double-Sided Activity Cards.

4 years & up. Literacy and Math with Zoo Animals. This exciting set will provide your kindergartener with plenty of entertaining educational options when learning about the 26 letters of the alphabet and numbers 0 through 20. An 8-count pack of crayons and a finger fidget are also included to make learning more hands on. A safari animal puppet is also included. Activity card(s) included.

4 years & up. Join these playful pups in early coding fun! This 15-piece Coding Critters set features interactive pets Ranger and his friend Zip along with a playset including a house, slide, tennis ball launcher, and more. Play fetch, hide and seek, and other fun games with the pet playset or create your own coding stories and challenges. When you are not coding, you can pet, feed, and take care of Ranger just like a real pet in Play Mode. Read along and explore the coding adventures in the full-color storybook filled with multiple coding challenges. Coding Critters are interactive pets that introduce preschoolers to critical thinking, problem solving, and other skills through STEM-based play. Included: Ranger and Zip Coding Critters, Playset with accessories, and a 20-page Storybook. Requires 3 AAA batteries, not included.

8 years & up. Specially designed wiggle seats help calm and focus those who have a hard time sitting still. Allow children or adults to quietly move while working, enabling them to focus, stay on task and be more productive. Flexible nubs on one side and small bumps on the other can easily be felt giving a choice for just the right amount of tactile stimulation. Ergonomic disc causes the body to stabilize itself improving posture. Easy-inflation pump is included and firmness can be customized to each child's needs. Effective on chairs, benches, or directly on floors. 13" diameter comfortably fits an older child or adult.

3 years & up. Learn letters and vocabulary with acorns! Match uppercase and lowercase letters and match color-coded figures to their appropriate beginning letter. Includes 26 two-piece acorns and 26 color-coded figures, 1 for each letter! Acorns measure 2"L x 2.5"H.

Record daily reading minutes at the touch of a button. Features programmable countdown timer with alarm, cumulative timer of multi-session reading, digital clock and more. Battery is replaceable. Color may vary.