Little Stars 3-5 

 (Ages 3 - 5)

Camp Fire Little Stars Program - Great for Play Groups Camp Fire USA has introduced a new program for preschool age children and their parents. This program is asset based, outcome measurable programming that is geared toward 3-5 year olds.

It is great option for playgroups as well as Family Day Care and Day Care Center programs.

Camp Fire USA’s Little Stars program contains projects that will serve as an introduction to Camp Fire USA. The projects are designed to excite and educate children before entering kindergarten (generally ages three to five) on a wide range of topics.

Project List:

·         Trail to Knowing Me
·         My Family and Me
·         Health
·         Safety
·         Trail to Family and Community
·         Our Group
·         I’m Learning to Be Polite
·         Trail to Creativity
·         Create and Pretend
·         Arts and Crafts
·         Fun with Food
·         Trail to the Environment
·         Ecology
·         Exploring My World
·         My Animal Friends
·         Trail to the Future
·         Transportation
·         Fitness  

Project Format
Within each trail, projects are designed to stimulate motor skills, promote group learning and build confidence. There are 13 projects in the Little Stars curriculum. Each trail project follows the same basic format:

·         Level – recommended grade level for children participating in the activities.

·         Trail – name of the trail that the project falls under.

·         Project – name of the project.
·         Purpose – general description of what the children will learn while doing the project.

·         Meeting Plans – how to do activities and supplies or materials needed to complete them.

·         Youth Outcomes – list of ways children will benefit from participating in the project activities.

·         Requirements – what the children need to accomplish to receive a recognition item.

·         Tips for Group Leaders – advice for making each project a success.

·         Family Take-Home Page – worksheet included at the end of the projects to be photocopied and sent home with the children. These take-home pages contain activities for the children to complete with their families.

Meeting Plans

Each activity option within a project is written as a meeting plan. Little Stars meeting plans are designed to last about 30 minutes.

Meeting plans are provided to help Camp Fire USA leaders create a fun, educational program. They are a guideline for leaders conducting a Camp Fire USA meeting. As each project follows the same format, so do the meeting plans. Each meeting plan contains the following information:

·         Trail – name of the trail that the project is on.

·         Meeting Plan – name of the meeting plan.

·         Project – name of the project that the plan falls under.

·         Purpose – general description of what the children will learn while participating in the activities listed in the meeting plan.

·         Opening – activity to signal the beginning of the meeting. Meeting Openings and Closings ideas are listed in the book.

·         Materials – list of materials needed to complete the meeting plan.

·         Preparation – tasks that should be done before the meeting.

·         Activities – explanation of the activities in the meeting plan.

·         Playback: Points to Reinforce – list of questions to reinforce what the children have learned in the meeting.

·         Closing – activity to signal the conclusion of the meeting. Meeting Openings and Closings ideas are listed in the book.

Progress and Recognition

Camp Fire USA  believes in the value and importance of recognition for accomplishment.

All curricula for older children build this into its structure. However, the needs of Pre-K children are different. Their short-term memory and limited understanding of concepts such as earning awards over a period of time change the need for recognition.

Preschool children enjoy playing and doing activities for the joy of it. They do not carry over the concept of what they are working toward week to week. They live in the here and now. Receiving a sticker for the activity immediately after they complete it is recognition enough.

As a result, when children complete a meeting plan, they will receive a sticker from the corresponding project to place on their Little Stars recognition chart The Little Stars identification sticker is given to children when they join.

Requirements

In Little Stars, there are no requirements in how groups complete meeting plans or projects. Groups can do projects in any order. A group could complete all of the meeting plans from a project in consecutive order, or could work on several projects at once. For example, a meeting plan from “Safety” may be done one week, and a meeting plan from “Fitness” may be done the following week. The group can consider the seasons and its own interests in choosing which  program to do first.

Little Stars groups can complete any number of meeting plans within a project. If the children really like a particular project topic, they may want to do the entire meeting plans listed. 

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