Have the children bring in pictures of themselves or pictures of things they like. Using 12-by-18-inch construction paper, layer 10 sheets and fold in half to make a book. Staple along the binding of the paper so it stays together. Gather supplies and materials for the children to use such as tape, glue sticks, scissors, magazines, crafting accents (glitter, confetti), markers, and pens. Let the children cut pictures out of magazines or use the pictures they brought to create a story about themselves.
Talk with the community director about letting the after-school first-graders help with cleaning up the community or city they live in and promote recycling. First-graders can draw posters to hang around the school and help organize a community cleanup crew. Create games for the first-graders to play by bringing in clean recyclable material and letting them sort it and place it in the correct bins. Have the children collect all the recyclable material from each classroom and distribute it to the appropriate bins.
First-graders enjoy science, and they want to figure out how things work. Combine their need for knowledge with creating a project that they design and execute. Each child will need a small Dixie cup and a large container of Play-Doh. Using paper plates as a base, have each child set their cup in the center of the plate and mold the dough around the cup; do not cover the top or put dough in the cup. Have each child add two spoonfuls of baking soda, three drops of red food coloring and slowly pour vinegar into the cup and watch it erupt. Once the volcanoes have erupted, have each child tell you their favorite part and explain how a volcano works.
Ask each child to bring in one of their favorite recipes they like to make from home and a picture of themselves. Give each child a piece of 8-by-10-inch paper and let them glue their picture and recipe on the page and write about why they chose that recipe or why they enjoy it so much. Let them continue to decorate the remainder of the page with pictures to fill up space. When finished, photocopy each paper and make enough copies so each child has a copy of all the recipes. Give the children a piece of 12-by-18-inch construction paper, fold in half vertically, and have them decorate the front and back of the paper; this will be the cover to their recipe book. Staple the pages of recipes into the folded construction paper to create a book. Give the original page they decorated back to them so they can give as a gift to a parent.