Fun & Easy After-School Activities

By Simon Natta • December 27th, 2009

Parents should never underestimate the importance of extra-curricular activities to their child’s education. It’s during these hours that they can be introduced to a lifelong love of music, sports and the arts. With schools being forced to do more with less, after-school activities have been the first thing to go. Consequently, families must stretch their imaginations and budgets to keep the kids busy. In this article, we’ll share some ideas for fun and inexpensive projects for the children.

Kids spend most of their school day sitting doing creative activities and seat work, so after-school activities that get them moving is essential to good health. Kids spending too much time watching TV and sitting in front of the computer can lead to childhood obesity. If a league or other organized sport is not an option, then start your own team with the neighborhood kids. A little competitiveness is always fun and playing sports is an excellent way to teach kids about cooperation and team spirit. Try organizing a bean relay race. You’ll need some dried beans, empty cans and drinking straws. Distribute one straw and two or three beans to each player. Place the cans on chairs about 20 feet in front of each group. The game is played in relay race style. The first person in line begins by sucking a bean up on the end of a straw. He/she then walks or runs to the can and lets the bean drop into the can. As soon as he/she returns to the line, the next person goes. Each person in line gets 2-3 chances to go. The person with the most beans in the can wins.

Arts and kids crafts can introduce children to a wide range of subjects like art, music, science and nature. You’ll be able to find countless ideas on the Internet. To teach your kids how to tell time, have them make clock-face place mats with moving pipe cleaner parts. All you need is some construction paper, a marker, and some pipe cleaners. Want to share your love of gardening? Have the kids grow a bean sprout in a paper cup. Or, combine cooking and science by making homemade ice cream!

Filling kids with nutritious food is as important to child development as making sure they get enough physical activity. However, getting them to eat what’s good for them can be mission impossible! It helps to have your children participate in building a healthy menu for the family. Homemade granola bars are a healthy treat and making them teaches kids how to follow a recipe and introduces them to measurements. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of quick cooking rolled oats, a can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup of wheat germ, 3/4 cup natural bran, 1/2 cup of oat bran and 1/2 cup of melted margarine. If you wish, you can also add a handful of raisins, nuts, shredded coconut, or your favorite dried fruit. For a sweeter treat, add chocolate chips. Press the mixture into a metal baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree over for about 15-20 minutes. When it’s cool, cut it into bars and serve with milk or juice.

After-school activities are an essential part of a child’s personal development. It teaches them skills that they may not learn in the classroom, encourages them to develop socially by forming friendships with other children, and it may also give you the chance to spend more time together. Speak to your child about subjects that interest them and find a project that develops that interest. Whether it’s sports, music, the arts or science, getting your child involved with a variety of programs outside of school is sure to enhance their life.

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