Activities for Indoors

Now that the weather is cold, that means more program time is spent inside. It can be hard to keep kids engaged while they are all cooped up. I’ve explored the Mizzen App to find some activities that are great for the colder months.  One of my favorite activities I tested while doing the Mizzen […]

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The Network is Celebrating 35 Years!

The Network is celebrating 35 years of after school excellence…and more! In 1989, the Network was founded as the Connecticut School Age Child Care Alliance (CSACCA) at the first After School Conference. Since then, we changed names (2x), moved to several locations and employed over 20 people. In addition to our after school work, we […]

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OST STEM Experience

The Connecticut Science Center and CT Network for Children and Youth (CTNCY) are thrilled to offer a brand-new series of workshops centered around developing skills, expertise, and programming to assist afterschool providers in creating meaningful, fun STEM experiences and engagement opportunities for students. We know your time is very valuable, stipends will be offered to […]

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Simply STEM (December)

Welcome to this month’s Simply STEM activity! Today, we are making snow dough! This snow dough is supposed to mimic the look of real snow. Your students will be able to play around with it and mold it because of its unique texture! Experience all the fun of snow without having to go outside. Check […]

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Simply STEM (November)

Welcome to this month’s Simply STEM activity! Today, we are going to test how different liquids react with marshmallows! This fun and easy activity is perfect for your students to practice their observation skills while using the scientific method. A bonus to this experiment is that you can eat any marshmallows that are leftover! This […]

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Building 3D Sandwiches & Color Collages

Two years ago, I created a YouTube video highlighting the playlist feature on the Mizzen app. The playlist “Art Projects for K-5th Grade at Home or in Small Groups” included the “Building 3D Sandwiches” & “Color Collage” Activities. My 3D Sandwich is one of my most prized decorations in my office, as you can see […]

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Simply STEM (October)

Welcome to this month’s Simply STEM activity! Today, we are creating our own spiderweb! This activity is a fun and creative way to teach your students about how spiders catch their prey. Your students will design and create their own spider web that is able to hold at least 3 small items. How will they […]

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Help Us Help YOU!

Hi, I’m Ashley! I’m a graduate student in the Community Psychology program at CCSU and I’m interning with the Network this fall to help conduct a needs assessment project. In the spring, a group of my classmates and I worked with the network on a pilot needs assessment in which we heard from some afterschool […]

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Simply STEM (September)

Welcome to this month’s Simply STEM activity! Today, we are making paper leaf gliders! This fun hands-on activity will help your students understand concepts like aerodynamics and fine motor skills. It is also a great way for your students to utilize their observational skills. To help your students understand the concept of flight, check out […]

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Get to Know Your Students Using Mizzen – Decorate a Notebook

**Don’t know what the Mizzen app is? Check out the Mizzen website to learn more about the tools and resources it offers!** Last year I had the opportunity to demo this and a handful of other activities on the Network’s Facebook Live. I started the series with this particular activity because I thought it was […]

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