Engaging After-School Activities for Kids
Engaging activities for kids
Keeping kids occupied can be tough, especially if they’re tired after a full day of school and aren’t in the best mood. If you’ve got a busy schedule, coming up with new and entertaining activities can be draining or simply not feasible. If your family is struggling with finding engaging activities for the kids, here are seven ideas you can try.
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School Clubs
If you have no time to plan anything yourself, chances are the school has plenty to offer. Schools usually offer all sorts of after-school clubs to suit just about anyone, and the other members will likely be kids your children are familiar with. This can be a great opportunity for your kids to spend more time with friends or make new friends with similar interests. There are drama clubs, math clubs, robotics clubs, and more. Plus, if there are no clubs your kid is interested in, they can probably create their own!
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Escape Rooms
Escape rooms can be a fun outing, but did you know you can also play them virtually? There are many virtual escape room team building activities out there for all ages. Because they can be played online, your kids can play with friends they may not get to see often. You can choose from a variety of settings and stories for hours of fun.
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Sports
Sports are a great after-school option for kids who love exercising and need to burn off extra energy. There are all sorts of sports for different fitness levels and comfort levels. If your kid doesn’t like the typical team sports like basketball or football, they may enjoy different sports like archery or fencing. Schools tend to host basic school sports teams, but with a little research, you can find all sorts of sports training in your area.
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Tabletop Roleplaying Games
Tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons can be an exciting after-school activity for multiple reasons. There are different rulebooks, settings, and story types to suit every taste. Whether your child wants to fight dragons or explore space, there’s bound to be a game they’ll like. While things like additional dice sets and official handbooks can get expensive, you can find the basic rules for many systems available for free online. These games combine math and collaborative storytelling for an experience that helps children build problem-solving and leadership skills.
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Coding
Coding clubs are great for learning fun skills that will be useful later in life. Learning to code can be the foundation for many rewarding hobbies and careers, so getting a head start on the basics isn’t a bad idea. As more and more technology evolves and more tasks become automated, a little coding knowledge will likely make life easier to navigate as your kids age.
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Crafts
Getting creative is beneficial for everyone. It’s a great way to blow off steam and express emotions in a healthy way. There are so many craft options that cost pennies to make, and you likely have a lot of the materials on hand already.
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Reading
Reading is a rewarding lifelong habit, so it’s important to introduce a love of reading early. It’s not for every kid, but you can make it fun by introducing a book club aspect or even rewarding your kids for reading a certain number of books. If your kid isn’t a reader, you can try introducing them to educational podcasts. Many award-winning podcasts have entire seasons of free content in one-hour chunks for easy listening. You can listen to podcasts together in the car or while you prepare dinner to make it a family affair.
It’s not always easy to keep kids entertained, but there are a lot of options out there even if you don’t have the time or energy to prepare anything complicated. With a little exploration, your kids are sure to find new and exciting activities they love.
