The block of time between the end of school and dinner can be a struggle for parents and kids. While you may need to focus on finishing up work or getting dinner on the table, your kids want to be entertained. Sitting them in front of the TV isn’t an ideal solution. Craft projects can be a great way to keep them occupied and engage their minds as you tackle your tasks.
Kids love using their hands and creativity to create; making crafts allows them to do both. It also helps them improve their motor skills and express themselves. Some crafts can even teach them STEM skills. You can make it easier for them to create by prepping the project beforehand.
Here are 5 projects to keep your kids entertained after school:
#1. Fold Origami
All your kids need to make origami are colorful squares of paper and printed off instruction sheets. If your kids haven’t made origami before, start with something easy like these origami jumping frogs. You can find easy-to-follow visual instructions at It’s Always Autumn. These jumping frogs really can jump! Once your kids finish making them, they can have a contest to see which frog jumps the furthest.
#2. Build a Fort
Making a fort is a fun engineering challenge for kids. Let your children know what materials they are allowed to use (pillows, couch cushions, blankets, etc.). Then challenge them to build a fort. After it’s finished, you can encourage them to use it as a reading nook or hand them a flashlight and encourage them to tell each other stories.
#3. Design a Rollercoaster
If you have been saving empty paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls for a project, let your kids use them to make a roller coaster! With just those rolls and some painter’s tape, they can design a rollercoaster course. You can encourage them to work together or compete. They can use small toy cars to test out their rollercoaster(s).
#4. Tape Away!
With just a roll of wasabi tape or painters’ tape, your kids can entertain themselves for hours. They could use the tape to create a town for their toy cars and animals. Or make a “laser maze” obstacle course inside by hanging string across a hallway. Check out Red Tricycle’s website for examples of these activities and more!
#5. Create Holiday Crafts
You can find a wealth of free holiday projects online, like these fun Paper Stockings for Christmas. The night before, collect all the supplies your kids will need, such as construction paper, wasabi tape, glue sticks, etc. Cut out any shapes that they’ll need if your kids can’t be trusted with scissors. After your kids get home from school, show them the supplies you collected and a picture of how the final project could look. Then, give them any instructions they need and let their creativity take over.
These are just a few fun activities that you can use to keep your kids’ hands and minds busy after school. If you’d like more ideas for fun, educational activities that you kids can do after school, check out our Distance Learning page! At the bottom of the page, you’ll find fun craft videos and yummy creative snack ideas.
If you are hunting for an after-school program, check out the Kids ‘R Kids’ After School program! Kids from preschool to fifth grade participate in our afternoon programming. If you stop by, you’ll hear kids laughing and playing together as they use their hands and creativity to discover and connect with their peers. If you want to learn more about our after school programs, contact us!