It might be tempting to just let the kids collapse in front of the TV after a long day at school, but while that’s fine for a short period, it’s not the only way you can calm them down when they’re running wild. We’ve put together a few tips for keeping the kids busy and entertained after school, with no TV in sight.
Keeping Your Children Busy After School:
Create A Games Box:
Fill a spare box with a bunch of games and activities that your kids can enjoy by themselves, such as playing cards, puzzles, colouring books and board games. When they come home from school, they can dig through to find something to do to wind down. It’s also a great item to have on hand if your kids bring school friends over, as you have a ready-made box of entertaining goodies to give them.
Sign Your Children Up To A Club:
If you’re a working parent or you could do with a few extra hours after the kids finish school to wrap up your own to-do list, school clubs are a great solution. They’ll provide the activities for you, so your kids aren’t bored at home, and you have the peace of mind that they’re safe and sound, enjoying time with kids their own age. School clubs provide a range of educational activities for little ones of all ages, from reading and writing to building their social skills and keeping them active through sports and physical activity.
Give Your Children Goals:
Kids find activities less boring if they have a target to achieve, and it doesn’t have to be chores – it’s a fun way to pass the time that will keep them occupied and motivated. Give them the task of making a stack of birthday cards for family and friends throughout the year, create as many things as they can out of Lego or Play-Doh in 30 minutes or challenge them to learn five new words in another language using an app like Duolingo.
Build A Fort:
Everything is more fun in a fort, so whether you give the kids a book to read or some colouring-in books, why not get them to build a pillow fort in their room where they can enjoy some quiet time and relax? All you need is a bunch of cushions and pillows, and an old sheet over some chairs, and they’ll have a cosy fort. Alternatively, you can purchase kid-friendly tepees for bedrooms where they’ll have a permanent structure to hide away in after school.
Get Your Children To Create A Comic:
If you have an arty child who loves telling stories, why not get them to create a comic book? It’s a wonderful way for them to stretch their imagination and their reading and writing skills, and it’s an ongoing project they can make as big or small as they want, with as many characters and side stories as their minds can create. If they’re struggling to come up with an idea, you could give them a title or the main character idea to start them off and then let them run with the idea in any direction they want.
Give Your Children Audiobooks:
Reading offers so many benefits for people of all ages, but after a long day at school, your kids might not be too enthusiastic about picking up a paperback. So why not pick up the audio versions of their favourite books instead? They can sit down and hear their favourite storylines unfold, even while they do other things like play with toys or do a puzzle.
Offer Your Children Their Own Gardening Patch:
Kids love getting their hands dirty and spending time outdoors, so if you have your own outdoor space, why not donate a patch of the garden for them to do with as they please? Seeds are inexpensive and they’ll have an ongoing project that they can tend to every day, growing herbs, flowers or veggies – whatever their heart desires. It will not only give them an activity that will keep them entertained but it also teaches responsibility and can be incredibly rewarding for them when they see the fruits of their labour.
Final Thoughts:
It can be tough handling multiple schedules and routines at once, but these activities are sure to keep the kids occupied when they come home from school, and they’ll benefit your child’s development and learning too.
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