Anonymous wrote:
+1. OP seems to think K is all work, and not developmentally appropriate. There is a lot of play and attention to socioemotional development in the early grades at our school.

I've had one and a half children go through K (one's mid-year) and in FCPS it seems like a pretty miserable experience these days. Only a half hour of outside recess! Maybe we're just unlucky in the school we're zoned into.

OPs preschool sounds exactly like my pre-school (gosh, I wonder if it IS our pre-school, is it in Oakton?), and we will be facing the same decision another year down the line.

In previous years we've seen one family just move their child to a different, slightly longer pre-school. Another family found a part-time, private Kindergarten; their plan was to send the child to a public K afterwards. Otherwise, there's a *ton* of stuff during the day on Parktakes for kids five and under. Swimming, gymnastics, art, etc. Just search for classes at the rec centers & parks near you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just looking for recommendations on AFTERNOON PROGRAMS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS AGE. That’s it. Please and thank you.
-OP

Put him in a 9-3 preschool. Very few things will be for kids that age except homeschool groups.

+1 Your options are either a 9-3 preschool or to find a homeschool activity group he could drop into during the afternoons - if they would take him "part time". Start networking on homeschool groups, OP.

My child's kindergarten was 8:30-3:30, does an extra hour make that much of a difference? And they had at least two recesses and center time (which the kids could use to go outside and play) and snack time and lunch time. Plus specials (library, PE, art, and music) So they spent most of that time playing and not doing formal academics.

I doubt that the OP is interested in 9-3 if their child is not ready for 8:30-9:30 with at least half the day spent playing and eating.

+1. OP seems to think K is all work, and not developmentally appropriate. There is a lot of play and attention to socioemotional development in the early grades at our school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just looking for recommendations on AFTERNOON PROGRAMS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS AGE. That’s it. Please and thank you.
-OP

Put him in a 9-3 preschool. Very few things will be for kids that age except homeschool groups.

+1 Your options are either a 9-3 preschool or to find a homeschool activity group he could drop into during the afternoons - if they would take him "part time". Start networking on homeschool groups, OP.

My child's kindergarten was 8:30-3:30, does an extra hour make that much of a difference? And they had at least two recesses and center time (which the kids could use to go outside and play) and snack time and lunch time. Plus specials (library, PE, art, and music) So they spent most of that time playing and not doing formal academics.

I doubt that the OP is interested in 9-3 if their child is not ready for 8:30-9:30 with at least half the day spent playing and eating.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send your kid to school. You are not doing him any favors.

This. It's the simplest solution and also the correct one.

It isn't your kid. You don't have all (or even many) of the facts. Why do you all care so much what the OP does with her kid?

Says the mother of yet another geriatric kindergartners with executive functioning issues.

Not quite. Just someone who thinks you should spend more time worrying about your own kid than others.

DP.. kids don't live in a bubble in school. Kids in the classroom affect each other - both positively and negatively.

A kid 3 or 4 weeks older than the oldest on time kid is going to mess up your kid? What if they move to Maryland or one of the many other states with a Sep 1 cutoff? Then they would be right on time in a K class next year.

Some people redshirt even if the kid is several months from the cutoff, like in late spring.

But that’s not what OP is doing so that doesn’t matter here.

I'm not sure why OP is getting such weird responses. I

OP, I'd look for things that help develop coordination and sequencing skills. Gymnastics, swimming, ballet, and martial arts classes are all great. Nature center classes are also super fun for learning. I know Arlington has afternoon options for 5 yos. Music lessons could also be fun, but it depends on your 5 yo' s maturity. My 5 yo wasn't ready for piano or violin at that age. We've also done art classes, though we tend to do a lot or art at home so I always question the value a bit. If you don't like to plan art activities, I'd look for classes that encourage building fine motor skills and creativity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send your kid to school. You are not doing him any favors.

This. It's the simplest solution and also the correct one.

It isn't your kid. You don't have all (or even many) of the facts. Why do you all care so much what the OP does with her kid?

Says the mother of yet another geriatric kindergartners with executive functioning issues.

Not quite. Just someone who thinks you should spend more time worrying about your own kid than others.

DP.. kids don't live in a bubble in school. Kids in the classroom affect each other - both positively and negatively.

A kid 3 or 4 weeks older than the oldest on time kid is going to mess up your kid? What if they move to Maryland or one of the many other states with a Sep 1 cutoff? Then they would be right on time in a K class next year.

Some people redshirt even if the kid is several months from the cutoff, like in late spring.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m just looking for recommendations on AFTERNOON PROGRAMS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS AGE. That’s it. Please and thank you.
-OP

Put him in a 9-3 preschool. Very few things will be for kids that age except homeschool groups.

+1 Your options are either a 9-3 preschool or to find a homeschool activity group he could drop into during the afternoons - if they would take him "part time". Start networking on homeschool groups, OP.

Anonymous wrote:Send your kid to school on time. if you really really really insist on retention you could repeat K.

This.

I can’t believe people like this exist.

Anonymous wrote:How about:
https://easternridgeschool.org/kindergarten/

“Eastern Ridge provides the ideal transition year between preschool and more formal academics”

How about:
https://easternridgeschool.org/kindergarten/

Uh, kindergarten?

Anonymous wrote:If preschool isn't enough you should send your kid to kindergarten.

Yep!

Anonymous wrote: Now that I’ve made the decision to red shirt my September DC, I’m trying to figure out how to stimulate him beyond the traditional morning preschool hours. The longest I can extend his day is until 1pm with lunch Bunch but he can still only go four days a week. I would love to find a program that gives him some more stimulation a couple afternoons a week, like nature/outdoor focused or something with music. Any ideas or suggestions for me? If others in the same situation could recommend programs or give me some additional ideas I’d appreciate it! Tysons/Vienna/Reston/Great Falls or even Loudoun Co.
thanks!

Check on the Reston Association website, they list various programs and activities. They are open to the public but a bit more expensive for Non-Reston residents.

Check the libraries, I know the one in Reston has a calendar on its website with a lot of activities for Pre-Schoolers.

I am sure that you can find little kid programs at most of the local community centers, sports classes, yoga, painting and the like.

Just go online and take a look at what is available.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So confused by this. When I was in kindergarten in the 90s, it was a half day program where we mostly played. Now people are delaying kindergarten but still looking for basically full day options to “stimulate” their child?

Yes. Things have changed. Quite radically.

OP - see if you can find some homeschooling families - depending on the group they may be doing outings, etc. Also, your local Rec center. And there's all sorts of things to visit in DC.

It really depends where you lived. I went to K in NYC in the mid-80s at a test-in magnet (which also had a test-in preschool), which was 5 days/week 8:15-2:30.