Stations & Setting Up Your Room

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Stations & Setting Up Your RoomBy Linda Ranson Jacobs

DivorceCare for Kids

www.dc4k.org

Stations concept Stations are small areas set up to accommodate specic activities.

Think o stations as small rooms within one large room, but with no walls: they are areas made

up o a table and our chairs; a foor space with a piece o carpet and three places to sit; a couple o

school desks put together or two people; a sot, comortable chair or one person, etc.

There will be two times during the session where you will use the station concept, in the rst 15

minutes and again ater the rst hour.

When you use stations, you will have several dierent activities going on at the same time; or

example, workbooks, art project, children eating snacks.

Children should be allowed to choose the ollowing:

Which station to go to

How long to stay at that stationWhen to leave

What will be the next station they move to

Children dont have to go to all stations. They may eel sae

only sitting at one station. Ater attending a couple o sessions,

encourage the children to experience other stations.

Have several more station spaces than you have children (e.g., i

you have 15 children, then have at least 20 spaces set up where

children can sit at the dierent stations).

Control the number o children at a station by the number o chairs at the station; incorporate

the rule that chairs cant be moved. Ater assessing your group, you may want to set up a table, such as journaling, where older

children can have some time to themselves (you decide what ages and i it is a wise choice or

this particular group).

Setting up your own room Make your room warm, inviting and riendly.

Spaces do more than speakthey load our bodies and minds with sensory inormation. (Caring

Spaces, Learning Places by Jim Greenman, published by Exchange Press,

www.ChildCareExchange.com)

1. Some places overload childrens senses, causing them to shut down.a. Low load environments are the opposite in that they cause children to eel comortable, sae,

secure, relaxed and calm.

b. Colors like red and yellow tend to stimulate the creative part o children and get them excited.

These are known as hot colors. (Put these colors in the creative areas; you could use a red sign

or the art project or a red tablecloth or the Sel-Serve Snack area).

c. Cool colors such as blue, green and lavender can act to calm a child (use these colors or the

journaling area).


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d. Sounds can excite or calmrhythmic sounds can aect heart rates. ADHDkids do well with rap because o the constant rhythm; classical music stimulates

brain activity.

e. Smells and aromas will aect children also. Lavender calms and cinnamon

stimulates the brain.

. Think about the senses in your DC4K room.

2. Put pillows or aghans in an attractive box.

3. Place childrens supplies in a plastic container or rolling cart.

4. Identiy dierent stations with placards (can switch out easily when

changing stations by placing 2nd station sign under 1st station sign).

5. Create a ew table spaces with childrens backs to the wall, where

they can readily see all the activities and see out into the room.

6. Have at least two ways to get into a station (abused kids will always

be looking or a way to escape).

7. Create spaces, such as a table, or several children.

8. Create table space or foor space or only one or two children.

9. Keep in mind that younger elementary-age children see where things arentnot where theyare. They may try to go under a table instead o around it.

10. Have plenty o space to move around. Some o these kids are very clumsy and will need a lot o

space (stick their eet out in pathways).

11. Cramped rooms will tend to make some children hyper or nervous.

12. Lighting: Fluorescent lights tend to make some children hyper, especially i they ficker a lot.

Consider replacing bulbs, turning some o or using lamps.

Strategically place urniture to inhibit running and chasing.

1. Use low bookshelves, or place tables in pathways.

2. Keep room well organized by using boxes or totes or leader things.

Cover items you will not be using or you dont want the kids to bother.

1. You can use plastic tablecloths, portable walls, etc., to remove distractions.

2. Bright colors and wall decorations can tend to distract the already overstressed child.

3. White, beige or muted colors are best or some diagnosed behaviors

4. Too many shapes will also conuse some diagnosed children.

5. Use calm colors where possible; or example, cover items not being used with a calm color

plastic tablecloth.

MMIX by author and/or Church Initiative. All rights reserved. Reproducible when used in conjunction with a DC4K ministry. Visit

the DC4K LeaderZone, www.dc4k.org/leaderzone or valuable leadership resources.


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Entrance

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TV/DVD

Art/Project

Snack2nd Art/Crossword Puzzles

Activity Book

SCHEDULE

CLOCK

HERBYPOSTER

Extra Table

DC4K Station Set UpDC4K Station Setup


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Entrance

SafetyZo

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TV/DVD

Art/Project

Activity Book

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HEDULE

CLO

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Snack

2nd Art/Project

Journaling



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En

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DVD/STORY/

GROUP CIRCLE

Art/Project

Breaking Bread

SCHEDULE

CLOCK

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Activity Book

Jour

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Self-Serveand Sign Up

TV/DVD


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Stations & Setting Up Your Room