The Five Best After School Activities for All Ages
27 October 2016
How to Keep Your Little Ones Entertained After School
The children have now gone back to school and, whilst some of us breathe a huge sigh of relief that they can now get back into a familiar routine without having to provide a source of round-the-clock entertainment, lots of us are feeling sad about the big child-shaped hole in our lives where the littlies once were! Of course homework is waiting, but is it better to have kids start on it as soon as they get home, or should they blow off a little steam before settling in? When your child gets home after a busy day of learning they will be looking to reconnect with you and relax after the pressures of the day. Because children are always in the pursuit of happiness, we started thinking about the best after school activities to do with your child. Rather than plonking them in front of the telly, why not pull one of these after school activities out of your ‘cool parent’ arsenal when they get home? We promise that not only will they love it and you’ll both feel reconnected, relaxed and ready for a peaceful evening routine of homework and dinner, they might learn from these too (but don’t tell them that)!
Five Best After School Activities for Children
- Play Dress Up Keep your kids’ creative juices flowing and let them delve into the fancy dress box (or your wardrobe), giving them the chance to act out their favourite story as a play. It only works if YOU also dress up as a character, which will provide silliness and laughter which is just what is needed for a fun and light-hearted after school activity!
- Set off on a Bug Safari Collect a few old jam jars and label each one with a different critter’s name such as ‘worms’, ‘spiders’, ‘crabs’, ‘woodlice’ and whatever else you might be lucky enough to find in your local area. Let children roam the garden, beach or local park with a magnifying glass to find one example of each creature to put in the relevant jar – they can then inspect each creepy-crawly and note how many legs/antennae/eyes it has, before returning it safely to its habitat.
- Enjoy Playing Sport What better way to run off some steam than exercising in the fresh air? Kicking a ball, running on the sand or simply playing hopscotch or skipping can all help little ones to expend some of that fizzing energy so that they are more calm and relaxed. There are plenty of after-school clubs which encourage activities such as martial arts, swimming or ball sports, so get signed up and get involved! (ooh and don’t forget to label your sports kits, drink bottles and trainers to avoid them going walkabout!)
- Play a Board Game Board games have been a much-loved pastime for generations, and for very good reason! They are a great way to allow children to have fun, learn and get in some family time, meaning they can reconnect and unwind into a more relaxed state after the busyness of school. As well as helping to develop the focus and attention of the child, playing a simple board game as an after school activity can be done in all weathers and almost anywhere.
- Baking and Cooking Aside from involving your child in the preparations for your family supper, you can also surprise them with a fun baking activity such as these moon cycle cupcakes. Not only is baking a relaxing after school activity which invites children to really lose themselves as they knead, stir and sprinkle, but baking also helps them to learn about weights and measures. And don’t forget how good the spoon licking bit is too!
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