14 Awesome After School Activities: You've created a back-to-school shopping list and purchased new sneakers, backpacks, and more glue sticks than any one person could possibly use in a year. You think you're ready to send your child(ren) off to school, but what about when they come home in the afternoons, hungry, chatty, and full of energy? Don't worry, we've got 14 after-school activities to help them be creative, express themselves, open up emotionally, release pent-up energy, and eat healthily. A new school year can be intimidating, but you've got this! List of after-School Activities
Also Read: Fly Fishing | Fly Fishing Starter Flies
1. PLAY GENERAL STORE
You may see only a family room—a sofa, a TV, a coffee table, and so on—but when after-school activities take place, the room can easily transform into a charming general store selling everything from boxes of crackers to stuffed animals. Encourage your children to collect books, toys, unopened food from the pantry, and other items price them and open 'the doors to their general store. You then walk down the 'aisles,' asking both silly and serious questions about the products before making your purchases. Make a back-to-school checklist that includes fun after-school activities like playing store.
2. FISHING AFTER SCHOOL
There are few after school activities better than fishing after school after a day spent inside behind a desk. When you're finished with work and chores, before or after dinner, grab the fishing rods and head to a nearby body of water to cast your lines. Catching something while fishing with kids is just a bonus. What matters most is the quality time spent fishing with friends, talking about their days at school, cracking jokes, and making memories together. Check out America's top 100 family-friendly fishing spots. List of after-School Activities
3. PUPPET SHOW
Fear not: you don't need real puppets to put on a puppet show! Kneel behind the sofa, put on an improv puppet show, and make your kids laugh after a tough day at school using stuffed animals, action figures, or dolls, or even boxes of pasta and tall fresh produce like celery or asparagus if you really want to be creative and hilarious.
Also Read: Fly Fishing | Best Fly Fishing Flies
4. PAINTING EN PLEIN AIR
If you Google "After school activities near me," you'll probably find nothing closer than your own backyard! Except for perhaps your living room/general store! Painting outside, or 'en plein air,' is a great way to combine creativity with time spent in nature. Whether your child is still learning to paint with their fingers, wants to paint rocks to help with their anxiety or the mental health of others, or is working on a canvas on an easel, going outside to paint on a nice day when the wind is calm is a great way to unwind after a day of math, science, and geography lessons.
5. DANCE PARTY
Speaking of great after-school activities to unwind after learning new things and taking quizzes, play your children's favourite tunes through a bluetooth speaker and organise an afternoon, midweek dance party to stir their bodies and brains, tyre them out, and make them even more hungry for dinner!
6. MAKE A HEALTHY SNACK TOGETHER
After teachers have fed their minds all day, kids' bellies are probably getting a little jealous. Making a snack together in the kitchen, whether you make ants on a log with celery, peanut butter, and raisins or bake something fresh in the oven, is a fun way to get your kids excited about cooking, meal prep, and subtly teaching them the importance of nutrition and a balanced diet.
7. HAVE A PICNIC
Take your snacks and your child outside for an after-school picnic. Bring their favourite doll, action figure, or stuffed animal to sit comfortably on the blanket with them if they want extra company!
8. WRITE BOOK SPINE POETRY
While reading some of Mary Oliver's nature and animal poems to and with your young children is a good idea, you can also make some creative poetry by using the titles of the books you already own (or at the library). Book titles from top to bottom are used to compose poetry as you stack the books. They might be inspired to write poems, short stories, and other types of writing after engaging in this straightforward creative activity, which might spark their imagination. List of after-School Activities
9. LEMONADE STAND
Making pitchers of lemonade in the kitchen, setting out a table, creating a sign, and then waiting for thirty people to drive or walk by are some of the traditional after-school activities. Opening a lemonade shop is a delightful choice for after-school outdoor activities!
10. CLEAN AND DONATE
Most kids (and many adults) dislike cleaning, but when there is a purpose driving the action, motivation levels may increase. Many families across the country are in need of clothing, games, books, toys, and other items that your family may have in excess. Cleaning and donating will bring you and your children a lot of joy if you are looking for after school activities near me that will give back to people who are less fortunate.
Also Read: Fly Fishing | Aquatic Fly Fishing Insects
11. HIKE AND BIKE
After school activities outside on a beautiful day are the best because your child has been stuck inside all day, except for a brief recess if they were lucky enough to get one, looking out at blue skies. Now is your chance to enjoy the sun, feel the breeze, and breathe in some fresh clean air while hiking or biking with your child. Of course, they will need glue sticks, folders, and pencils to begin a new school year, but they will also require nature-based after-school activities, so include bike rides and nature hikes on your back-to-school checklist!
12. DO PUZZLES
Those who enjoy puzzles will tell you about the zen state of mind they achieve through the activity. In a world of screens, notifications, and noise, doing puzzles is one of the after-school activities that can help your child find peace and serenity. There are puzzles that are perfectly suited to your child, their attention span, the available flat surface area in your home, and the time allotted for this activity after school, ranging from wooden 10-piece puzzles to complex 1000-piece scenes (and even bigger ones).
13. INDOOR/OUTDOOR SOCCER
The beautiful game is a beautiful after-school activity that can be played outside on grass (of course) or indoors, in a hallway after all of the art, photos, and knickknacks have been removed. This tight space indoor soccer game, with closed doors and a clean long rectangular space, is a great idea to keep in your back pocket for a rainy afternoon after school! List of after-School Activities
14. SCAVENGER HUNT
Finally, a big scavenger hunt will send your kids on a wild goose chase both inside and outside. If you are at home during the day, hide items while they are at school and surprise them with an epic hunt for colours (perhaps only yellow items), themed items (sports equipment, for example), or an off-season egg hunt. Whatever you hide for them to find, your kids will be overjoyed to have awesome after-school activities that you took the time to plan for them. Check out even more fun outdoor activities for kids, and consider trying out these low-cost outdoor hobbies.
0 Comments