Four types
What are the main ways to deliver after-school enrichment?
| Approach | Who leads | Typical pricing model | Where it fits | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructor-led provider | The provider's instructors | Per participant, contract or session | Scheduled clubs or, for some providers, a whole program | Mad Science, Bricks 4 Kidz, Kodely |
| Curriculum or kit | Your staff | Per kit, subscription or custom license | Structured staff-led sessions; preparation varies | Second Step OST, CATCH Kids Club, SPARK After School, PCS Edventures, Arly Explorers |
| Activity library or planning platform | Your staff | Free, subscription or custom price | Staff select materials or use planning tools | Mizzen, Playworks Game Library, AB Studios |
| Calendar-delivered ready-to-run service | Your staff | Per-site license | A daily choice of ready-to-run events and activity materials | Belonging Games |
These are useful buying approaches, not formal industry categories, and products can overlap. For example, a program might combine an instructor-led club with a staff-led curriculum and a daily source of ready-to-run activities.
Side by side
How do the main options compare?
| Option | Type | Who leads | Grades | Format | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mad Science | Vendor | Mad Science instructor | Ages 5 to 12 (varies by franchise) | Weekly 1-hour science club at school | Set by each franchise; e.g. from $165 per child for 6 weeks (Long Island), from $109 (Greater Tampa Bay) |
| Bricks 4 Kidz | Vendor | Bricks 4 Kidz instructor | Ages 3 to 9+ | LEGO-based STEAM classes at school | Not published; set by each franchise |
| Kodely | Instructor-led provider | Kodely staff | TK–8 | 12-week career studios or full-service expanded-learning operations | Custom proposal; no standard price published |
| Second Step Out-of-School Time | Curriculum kit | Your staff | K to 5 | Printed kit of 12 activity notebooks plus online training (SEL) | $652 per kit |
| CATCH Kids Club | Curriculum kit | Your staff | K–8 | Physical activity and nutrition curriculum, games and activity materials | Current public price not confirmed; ask CATCH or retailer for a quote |
| SPARK After School | Curriculum | Your staff | Ages 5 to 14 | Digital library of 700+ active games, optional binder | $199 for 1 year or $299 for 3 years (digital); $499 bundle |
| PCS Edventures | Curriculum kit | Your staff, scripted guide | Grades 1 to 8, by kit | STEAM kit, twelve 1-hour lessons for up to 30 students | $645 to $935 per complete program |
| Arly Explorers | Curriculum within a program platform | Your staff, with scripted support | PreK–8 | Low-prep life-skills and fitness curriculum; part of Arly's broader software offering | Explorers curriculum price by quote; Arly Core starts at $79/month but does not establish the curriculum price |
| AB Studios | Activity content and planning platform | Your staff | Confirm with provider | Guided content and tools for planning and delivering after-school activities | Typically $125–$300 per site; billing period not specified on cited FAQ |
| Mizzen | Activity library | Your staff | K–12 | Searchable activities, collections and playlists | Free library; verify any team-service terms separately |
| Playworks Game Library | Free library and training | Your staff, trained by Playworks if you buy training | Pre-K to 6+ | Free game library and game guide; paid staff training | Library free; training quote only |
| Belonging Games | Calendar-delivered ready-to-run service | Your staff | Elementary | 1–3 curated events per day in Google or Outlook Calendar; each pack has an educator guide, 7 printables, 3 projector activities and a certificate | $3,650/site/year; $600 for a 30-day pilot, credited to an annual license if continued |
These amounts are not directly comparable: some are per child for a multi-week club, some are per kit or software subscription, and Belonging Games is per site per year. Prices shown are public examples, not quotes for your site; taxes, materials, contract terms and funding arrangements may differ. Prices are in USD where the linked U.S. pages specify dollars. We reviewed the linked pages on October 29, 2026; where an amount could not be independently confirmed, we do not present it as verified.
Choosing
How do you choose the right one for your program?
Answer four questions first.
- Who will lead it? Some providers supply instructors or operate the entire program. Others equip your existing educators to run activities.
- How much preparation can your staff do? Compare what each provider actually supplies: sequencing, materials, activity instructions, staff training and printing or setup requirements. Some curricula are designed for minimal prep.
- Which time blocks need coverage? A booked club fills scheduled hours. A curriculum supports its designed sessions. A daily activity service can help staff choose an activity when plans change, although staff still need to supervise, print or project materials, and adapt the activity to their group.
- What is the total cost for your site? Compare like with like: price per child, staff hours, supplies, term length, number of sessions and site coverage. See what after-school enrichment costs for worked examples.
The question is rarely which one. It is which hours each one covers, and who is left holding the afternoon when the plan falls through.
Free
What free after-school enrichment resources are worth knowing?
- Mizzen (Mizzen Education, originally Mizzen by Mott): a free online resource with activities, collections and playlists for out-of-school-time educators.
- Playworks Game Library and Game Guide: free, searchable games for active play, sorted by age.
- Afterschool Alliance: research, policy and funding resources, including 21st CCLC data. It is an advocacy organization, not a curriculum.
- Y4Y (You for Youth): an archived U.S. Department of Education professional-learning resource for 21st CCLC staff; check whether specific tools remain accessible.
Free resources can be valuable, particularly when staff have time and confidence to select and adapt activities. They may require more coordination than a scheduled program or a preassembled daily pack.
Ready layer
Where does Belonging Games fit?
What Belonging Games is. Belonging Games is a daily, plug-and-play enrichment service for elementary after-school programs. Each day, educators receive 1–3 curated events across cultural, SEL and STEM themes through their existing Google or Outlook Calendar. Every event includes complete, ready-to-run activities their own staff can lead without planning or preparing from scratch. An Enrilo product.
Belonging Games is intended to supplement, not replace, scheduled instructors and sequenced curricula. A site license covers unlimited educators and children at that site; the annual list price is $3,650. Educators choose from daily events, then print or project and facilitate the materials. Explore the live calendar or pricing and pilot options.
Related: Enrichment vendors and Belonging Games: two different jobs · What is plug-and-play enrichment? · ELO-P enrichment · 21st CCLC enrichment
FAQ
Questions
What is the cheapest after-school enrichment option?
Among the options here, free activity resources from Mizzen and Playworks have no library purchase price. Staff time, printing and supplies may still have a cost.
Which options need no preparation from staff?
An instructor-led program avoids staff lesson preparation for its booked sessions. Belonging Games supplies ready-to-run activity packs for staff to print or project and facilitate. Some other providers, including scripted curricula, also advertise low-prep delivery; ask how much selection, materials setup and training are required.
Which after-school enrichment programs are led by outside instructors?
Mad Science, Bricks 4 Kidz and Kodely offer instructor-led delivery. Kodely also offers a full-service operating model. The other listed options are primarily designed for a program's own staff to use.
Can ELO-P or 21st CCLC funds pay for these?
Some enrichment expenses may be allowable under ELO-P or 21st CCLC, depending on the grant, approved program plan, procurement rules and jurisdiction. Do not assume any particular vendor or license is automatically eligible; confirm with your district or grant administrator before purchasing.
Is Belonging Games a curriculum?
Belonging Games is not a sequenced curriculum. It is a calendar-delivered enrichment service with a choice of ready-to-run events each day. It can sit alongside scheduled clubs and curricula; educators still lead, supervise and adapt activities for their group.
How current are these prices?
Public prices and available pricing pages were reviewed October 29, 2026. We could not independently verify every quoted price, and some providers publish prices only on request. Follow the provider links for current terms.
Sources
Sources
- Mad Science Long Island, After-school programs (checked October 29, 2026)
- Mad Science Greater Tampa Bay, After-school programs (checked October 29, 2026)
- Bricks 4 Kidz, After-school programs (checked October 29, 2026)
- Kodely, Expanded learning (checked October 29, 2026)
- Second Step, Out-of-School Time (checked October 29, 2026)
- CATCH Kids Club and School Specialty, CATCH Kids Club manual and activity box K–5 (listed sources reviewed October 29, 2026; current price not independently confirmed)
- SPARK After School (checked October 29, 2026)
- PCS Edventures, Oceanic Exploration and Pirate Camp (checked October 29, 2026)
- Arly, Curriculum and Arly pricing (checked October 29, 2026)
- AB Studios, FAQ (checked October 29, 2026)
- Mizzen (checked October 29, 2026)
- Playworks Game Library and Playworks for OST providers (checked October 29, 2026)
- Afterschool Alliance and You for Youth (Y4Y) (Y4Y is a legacy/archived resource; availability may vary)
- Belonging Games pricing (checked October 29, 2026)
