School’s out, but the day’s not over yet! Keeping kids busy and happy after school can be a challenge, but boredom can be busted with a few clever ideas. Most of these ideas make use of things commonly found around the home, and won’t burn holes in your pocket.
After a busy day at Providence Children’s Academy, some kids are bouncing and ready for round two, while others need something calmer to help them come in for a landing. Quality after-school programs will cater for both. These activities are part of the reason why your child will benefit from being in an after-school program.
Get Arty: Magic Marbled Paper
This is a fun way to make cards, artwork, gift wrapping, and more.
You’ll need:
- Shaving cream
- Food coloring (liquid or gel)
- White paper or cards
- Water
- Muffin tin or ice trays
- Paint brush
- Dropper
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Spatula
- Toothpicks or spoon
- Plastic table cover
- Dish scraper or another straight edge
How To:
- Let the children pick the colors they want. Put a bit of color in each muffin tin or ice tray. Add water to dilute each color and stir with a tooth pick.
- Line the baking sheet with foil. Squirt a layer of shaving cream onto the foil and spread it using a spatula. Aim for a layer about ½ inch thick, and larger than the paper you’ll be decorating.
- Drop spots of food coloring all over the shaving cream using the dropper. Be sure to clean the dropper before changing color.
- Using a paint brush, swirl the colors to make patterns. Be careful not to go too wild, as this will blend the colors and lose the patterns.
- Carefully lay the paper or card onto the colorful shaving cream. Press lightly and make sure all the edges and corners touch the color. Try not move the paper once it is touching the shaving cream.
- Lift the paper off, and don’t worry if it looks like a mess. Use a dish scraper (or other straight edge) to scrape off the shaving cream, leaving the multi-colored marble masterpiece behind. Set aside to dry.
Get Scientific: Colorful Cloud Dough
For the softest, silkiest play dough, this easy, two-ingredient recipe is guaranteed to keep little hands busy.
You’ll need:
- 4 cups of flour (or corn starch)
- ½ cup of baby oil
- Powdered chalk for color (or liquid food gel color)
How To:
- Simply mix the flour and baby oil
- Add powered chalk for the desired color
- Play!
To store your play dough, wrap each color separately in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container.
Get Moving: Add-On Dance Party
This game can be played with two or more people. Player one comes up with a move. The second person has to perform that move and add a movement of their own. The next person does both movements, and adds on one more. The dance grows until someone forgets a move.
Get Outdoors: Scavenger Hunt Self-Portrait
Scavenger hunts are a great way for children to get some fresh air. Make a list of objects for them to find, tell them where they are allowed to go looking, and turn them loose. For pre-readers, you can use simple pictures instead of words for the list.
The second part of this game uses what they’ve found to create a self-portrait. You can either let them create a temporary self-portrait by laying out the items on a flat area of paving, or you can provide a backing board and glue for something that will last.
Get Moving, Inside or Out: Obstacle Course
Another favorite with kids of all ages is the good old obstacle course. Create one outside, or do an indoor version if the weather is bad. They are easy to adapt for different ages and abilities. A built-in bonus of this game is the workout the kids get while running the course.
Get It All At Our After-School Program In Coconut Creek
We understand that each child has different needs at the end of a long day at school. Our aim is to care for your child as if they are at home. With this in mind, we tailor our afternoon activities to provide opportunities for those who need to get rid of energy, as well as those who need something peaceful to wind down. For more information about our after-school care program in Coconut Creek, please complete the contact us form or give us a call 954-570-6914.