Do you remember the phrase “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”? Well, when kids are at school, they tend to spend most of their time studying or taking lessons. So, when they get home, you shouldn’t think of sending them straight to the study. Instead, allow them to relax their bodies and minds with a few fun after school activities.
As you might already know, a well-rounded education combines fun with work and helps children learn and develop their minds outside of the typical classroom. In this article, you’ll find a list of 10 fun after school activities for kids that your child will love.
Fun After School Activities for Kids
#1. Dancing competition
Dancing is a great way to have fun. It also helps instil confidence in children and builds their kinesthetic intelligence. When there’s a prize attached to it, even better! You can pair your child with a sibling or friend and let them know what they stand to win if they perform well. If there’s no one to partner with, then you should join in the fun. To determine who wins, consider going old school with the typical dancing around chairs using music on your phone or through speakers. Alternatively, use a dance mat or a video game like Just Dance.
#2. Obstacle course
Want your kids to learn how to smartly tackle challenges? Introduce them to obstacle courses. Besides keeping them engaged for hours, this is one of those fun after school activities for kids that help them stay fit and healthy. Obstacle courses can be set up indoors or outdoors. If you’re going for something simple and safe, setting up indoors would be your best option. We recommend you try a super easy one like this.
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#3. DIY Arts & Crafts
From painting to making paper bead necklaces, there are a hundred and one fun do-it-yourself art projects you can get your child involved in. Crafty experiments get kids excited and help them learn how to be more creative. They also help cut down the time they spend watching TV and that’s a win for you.
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#4. Playing Dress Up
Children love to mimic their favourite characters. For some, it might be Disney princesses and for others, it might be a Marvel character like Spiderman. So if you suggest playing dress up and acting out a story, they are likely to jump in excitement. Depending on the story you choose, your child can also play the role of a doctor, lawyer or teacher; just endeavour you let them choose what story to act out.
#5. Outdoor Sports
It’s almost impossible to create a list of fun after school activities for kids without mentioning outdoor sports. If you choose to go with outdoor sports, you’ll hardly run out of options. There’s soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball and the list goes on. Kids have a lot of energy, so why not get them involved in an activity that not only enhances their physical ability, but also improves their mental wellness.
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#6. Swimming
Spending time at the pool is one of the most interesting and fun after school activities for kids. Thinking of ideas for pool games? Here’s one: beach ball race. How does it work? Give each child a beach ball, get them to push it to one end of the pool and back without the ball leaving their hands. If they think it sounds too easy, tell them to do it 5 times!
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#7. Cooking
Cooking is an essential life skill, and what better way to introduce it to kids than by making it fun? Get them in on the action by following recipes or mixing ingredients. You can start with simple options such as cupcakes, pasta or chicken wraps.
#8. Category Hopscotch
Category Hopscotch is very similar to the typical hopscotch game. The major difference is that the numbers are replaced with category names such as countries, celebrities or cars. As the players hop into each square, they are to name something from the corresponding category. Here’s a full breakdown of how the game works.
#9. Loop the Hoop
The objective of this game is to get a hula hoop from one child’s arm to another. Sounds easy right? Wait till you hear the full instructions. Gather as many kids as possible: neighbours or friends of your child. The children are to stand in a circle and hold each other’s hands without letting go. The first person is to dangle the hoop on one arm and slide it to the other arm by stepping through it. The next player does the same thing until the hoop has gone through the circle. To make it more fun, time the game and keep them on their toes!
#10 Martial Arts
Your child might be the next Karate Kid in the making. What it takes is a few more lessons in martial arts. Remember, martial arts is meant to build up self-esteem and self-defence skills, not to hurt other people.
Although learning martial arts is one of the fun after school activities for kids, it also serves as a way for them to learn and develop new skills.
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In summary, by making your child take part in the after school activities discussed in this post, you would see improvements not only in the studies of your child but also in the development of the body and mind.
