How to amuse the children

[kreid]

Hi everyone, i am still new to childminding and as my children are very young, ages 2 and 9 months. I sometimes get a bit lost at finding the best ways to keep my after school children occupied. I currently have a 6 year old boy and about to start with a 9 year old girl and 7 year old boy. Can anyone share with me the sorts of things you do with your afterschool children and how you structure their afternoon. Or do you just let them do as they please. Currently, i come home from school, have snack, watch a little TV. then we have some free play - drawing, colouring, cars, toys etc. We then do any homework they may have and at around 5pm most evenings we have story time. I also take them out to play if the weather is nice and we do baking at least once a week.

Any ideas greatfully recieved - such as what 9 year old girls like to play with ie: barbie, bratz etc or are they too old for this - just want to get an idea of what sort of toys to buy as at the moment i only have boys toys.

Many thanks

[LADYBIRD]

Hi i have a 9yr old girl and 8yr old girl and also a 7yr old girl of my own, they dont really play with barbies or dolls, they love crafty things and things like hama beads, the ones you use the peg boards with and then can iron the design, i dont iron them all the time as would have none left if i did!! They also like board games and when i have big ones in the hols they will do them sometimes but usually nds up in a row!
I have a five yr old boy and 6 yr old boy sometimes after school aslo, they like lego, magnetix and a couple of times a week we will watch a video or dvd, but also love craft.
The best thing i have done the last couple of weeks was using large stones from the garden and painting to look like ladybirds as we are ladybird childminding, they loved it although the 1 yr old and 2 yr old for some reason kept trying to eat them!!??
If you have a wilkinsons near you they do some craft things for 50p or £1 like puppet making and wooden spoon people and sewing sets they may like those.
In the hols the older girls love to help me clean!!! which is great!!!
Vx