Keeping The Kids Entertained Now Schools Are Back

Anyone
with kids will know just how tricky it can be keeping them entertained at
the best of times. Now that the summer holidays are over and
the kids are back at school, what now? You may be wondering what to do to keep the
little ones entertained after school and over the weekend.

Encouraging
your children to go outside and get some fresh air is always a good
idea, but it’s also important that there are plenty of ways to keep
them entertained (preferably while getting in some sneaky exercise
while they’re at it) and happy. And don’t forget, spending
quality time with your children is just as important for you as it is
for them! Here are some great activities for you to take part in with
your children after school:

Walking and bike rides

You may think that walking is rather dull and boring, and children may certainly agree, however you can make the most boring activities fun if you put your mind to it. Given that walks
are free, offer some incredible sights and is a pretty healthy
activity overall, it’s a good idea to try and incorporate
walks into your daily routine. Try adding in games while you walk – play eye-spy, search for berries, twigs, acorns and now even conkers, why not take a bag with you on your walk and collect these items to make a collage with later on?

Of
course, the walks don’t have to be walks; to make things a little
more interesting. Remember roller skates? You can now get Heely’s
from ProLine Skates,
the roller skates for the 21st
Century
child. Being able to glide along the pavement at a high speed will
make the walk irresistible. The same goes for scooters, skateboards,
bikes and more, Emmy and Harry like nothing better than heading off on a bike or scooter ride, and even ride these to school and back which makes the school run quicker if not a little daunting for me!

Family
bike rides make for a fun bonding activity, ideal for after school or
over the weekend. During the summer when the nights are lighter, it’s
a great way to help your child clear their head and have some fun
after their homework’s done, and infinitely more satisfying than a
night in front of the television. Check around for any particularly
scenic routes that you all might enjoy, and get some great exercise
while you’re at it. Now Harry can ride his bike I will need to dust off mine to keep up with him as he is getting faster every day.

Biking
can be extremely rewarding and will encourage your child to explore
the world around them, and by doing it together you get quality time
as a family.

Reading
and Games

Though
staying active is important, it’s also important that you help your
children to develop other skills and interests such as reading and
creative expression. Children love books and especially enjoy being
read to, I make sure I put aside some time each day in order to read to the children, it helps them to calm down, relax and unwind. Emmy is at that age where she is learning to read and while reluctant as she thinks of it as homework I try to preserve and turn any situation into an opportunity to read (and learn) – she like to help read the shopping lists and recipes while cooking, so although not her school reading books she is still practicing which is so important.

Board
games and similar activities can also be very enriching for your
child’s mind, and again it gives you a fun and simple activity to
participate in together whilst teaching you child about rules, taking
turns and so on. We’ve hit the age of tantrums over not winning a game here but it’s an important life lesson which all children will experience at some stage.

Baking and cooking

I’m finding the children are tired after school currently, less than two weeks in and it’s taking a toll on them, especially for Harry who has just completed his 3rd full day in Pre-School. They are coming home from school not only tired but hungry too.

Their default mode when hungry is to ask for snacks, which in moderation is fine but combined with tiredness too I find they won’t eat dinner is they’ve snacked. Now I could have dinner ready for them when they come home, and most days I do, however it is nice for us all if they help to choose and make it with me. They tend to eat more this way as it’s what they want and the fun element of helping kicks in.

Easy and of course not too messy favourites of ours are: Homemade pizzas, mini tartlets, pasta with a cheesy sauce, Banana muffins and any type of cake/cupcake.