If you are looking for the best and most fun activities for kids after school, you have landed on the right article. In this article, you will learn about the best things to do after school that will engage your child’s mind and keep them entertained. You will get to read about both indoor and outdoor activities for any age, gender, or preference. If your child likes staying inside, you will find suitable and challenging games. On the flip side, if the child enjoys nature and being outdoors (these are especially fun during hot summer days), you will also find fun outdoor activities for kids.
As a reminder, we always suggest talking to a healthcare specialist, even if you only need expert advice on raising a healthy child. Give Well Child Visits in Miami, Florida, a chance for your child’s better overall well-being.
With that in mind, what are some fun activities for kids that will engage and entertain? Keep scrolling to find out.
The Most Fun Activities for Kids
Finding entertaining activities for children can be challenging. As we all know, children love versatility, and grabbing their attention can be tricky. That’s why we compiled the ultimate list of fun activities for kids of all ages and personality types. Whether your child needs to burn off steam or relax, these things to do after school will be helpful.
Before jumping straight into the activities, remember to talk to a professional for expert advice and guidance on how to raise a healthy and happy child. For the best results, we suggest opting for Dr. Ana’s pediatric practice.
Here are the best things to do after school, both outdoors and indoors.
Outdoor Activities for Kids
The sun is shining, and the birds are singing. Enter outdoor activities for children. Here are four exciting things to do outside.
Take Your Child on a Scavenger Hunt
If your child has an adventurous spirit, they will love outdoor activities for kids, such as scavenger hunts. In fact, kids have always been going on scavenger hunts! Start by giving your child a list of different objects they need to find to complete the scavenger hunt. Always let them know which places are fine to search in, such as the backyard or a neighboring park. If you want to make the outdoor activities for kids more challenging, you can create a customized pirate map and have your children search for treasure! This activity is ideal for kids of all ages, especially young explorers. If you have older children, you can adjust the game by changing the hunting area or the objects, as well as the difficulty level of the scavenger hunt.
Make an Obstacle Course
Another one of the best outdoor activities for kids that will help your children have fun and even get some exercise is making an obstacle course. This activity is suitable for children of all ages who love conquering challenges. You can customize this activity for the child’s age and activity level and make it as complicated or simple as you like. You can also make after-school activities such as obstacle courses indoors, which is especially helpful on rainy days.
Try to Incorporate Exercise
A lot of outdoor activities for kids involve moving the body and getting some form of exercise in. You can have your child skip rope, chase a balloon, stomp on bubble wraps, and much more! Try to add more things to do after school that involve being active. By doing this, your child will be in better shape and feel better mentally because exercise is linked to improving physical and mental performance!
When in Doubt, Dance it Off
Dancing is one of the most exciting things to do after school to increase serotonin levels, have some fun, and even burn some calories! If you have a child who usually sits in front of the computer or is typically sedentary during the day, blasting some cool tunes and dancing to a song can do the trick! Outdoor activities for kids, such as dancing, can also be performed inside when it is snowing or raining.
Fun Activities for Kids to Do Indoors
It’s raining, snowing, or your child just prefers to stay indoors. Here are some of the most comforting and stimulating activities you can do with your child or allow your kid to do independently.
Paint or Draw Different Objects
If your child has an artistic soul, drawing or painting could be the best indoor activity after school. Extracurricular activities such as this can also stimulate your child’s mind and spark creativity levels. So, if you have a child who is feeling uninspired and lethargic, after-school activities such as painting or drawing could be helpful. If your child does not enjoy creating art from scratch, you can have them collect items from nature (such as pinecones) and paint them together. By playing with your child, you also promote parent-child bonding.
Create Sensory Containers
Stressed out and overwhelmed children may benefit from extracurricular activities for kids, such as making sensory containers. These items are also called “relaxation jars” or “calm-down jars.” They are very popular for easing stress and anxiety. This is also one of those things to do after school that your children can get creative with. Get a jar and fill it with things like sparkles, confetti, or anything else your child finds interesting. Besides being fun to put together, these relaxation jars will also help your child how to self-regulate emotions in a healthy way.
Direct Your Own Movie
After-school activities such as creating movies are perfect for older children above the age of 10. You can either help your child co-direct, or you can allow them to be completely independent! Of course, you will require a camera, tablet, or phone to record the movie and some editing software.
Put on a Puppet Show
Whether you have store-bought puppets or you are ready to make some of your own after-school activities such as puppet shows are always entertaining and hilarious. You can help your kids create simple puppets by using paper bags or old socks. Have the children decorate the puppets by drawing on them, gluing random items, or cutting holes for the eyes. Depending on the age, you may need to help your child create the puppets.
Bake or Make Ice Cream from Scratch
Extracurricular activities even parents can indulge in are the best. And what’s better than having a sweet treat after a long day at school? Try cooking or baking together with your child, or better yet, make homemade ice cream in a bag. The process of making ice cream is easy. All you need is a few ice cubes, some half and half, flavorings of your choice, and regular white sugar. Extracurricular activities that involve food can bring parents and kids together and strengthen relationships. Because we all love eating, creating something delicious together is a memory for a lifetime.
Make Glitter Slime
Every child on this planet loves making slime. You can find millions of easy recipes on the internet and more complex ones that require added supplies. The good news is that for a basic slime recipe, you only need a few things, such as glue, baking soda, contact solution, water, and optional add-ins (like confetti, glitter, or food coloring). This slime-creating activity is perfect for kids who want to experiment and learn about something new.
Give Us a Call Today
If you are struggling to keep your child engaged and entertained and you need professional help, we’re at your service. Reach out to us today and get started.
