36 After School Activities for Your Kids to Engage and Stimulate Their Minds

After-school activities play a crucial role in a child’s physical and mental growth. At Aspire Hub Viet Nam, we understand this importance, and research indicates that well-designed after-school programs can enhance kids’ social skills, improve school attendance, and boost academic performance.

36 After-School Activities to Stimulate Young Minds

Children often spend most of their day at school, leaving little room for play. Instead of overloading them with numerous after-school activities, it’s better to choose one that aligns with their grade level and interests, offering both fun and learning.

Let’s discover the best 36 after-school activities to help your child develop a new skill.

Scavenger Hunter in Park – After School Activities

Take your child to a local park after school and bring along some of their favorite small toys, like a car or stuffed animal. Hide these toys around the park and let your child run around to find them.
Just make sure to keep the toys within sight so you can keep an eye on your little one. This fun concentration game not only entertains but also helps develop their tactical and motor skills.

Color Matching and Shapes – After School Activities

Color Matching and Shapes
Get your kids to gather their broken crayons and sort them by color. Once sorted, melt the crayons and pour the liquid into various shaped molds. As the crayons cool and harden into new shapes, children will be fascinated by the process and learn about color coordination and shapes in a fun, hands-on way.

Colorful Popsicles – After School Activities

Sensory development is crucial for young children. A fun way to engage their senses is by making colorful popsicles together after school. Use food coloring and different flavors, such as orange and grape, to create a variety of vibrant popsicles.

Color an Item – After School Activities

Color and Motor Skills

Grab a random item from your waste bin, like paper plates, cans, or broken toys, and give your child some paint and a brush. Let them transform that item into something fun and creative. While it might get a bit messy, it’s a fantastic way to engage children.

Count It – After school activities

Turn everyday moments into learning opportunities with a simple counting game. After school, pick a theme like counting cars on the way home, the number of steps to the front door, or how many apples are in the fruit bowl.
This activity helps reinforce counting skills and makes learning numbers a fun part of your child’s daily routine.

Paint a Sidewalk – After School Activities

If your little one loves to draw on the living room walls, redirect that creativity with some colorful chalk. Take them outside to draw on the sidewalks, where they can express themselves freely. This activity not only nurtures an early interest in art but also helps improve motor skills and hand–eye coordination.

This after school activity is not only for your child but also helps develop the parent-child relationship.

Word Tree

Head to the park with your child and gather some dry leaves. Write a letter or number on each leaf and stick tape on the back. At home, set up a cardboard sheet in the living room. Give your child a word or number, and have them find the matching leaves to stick on the sheet.

Calming Jar

Create calming jars with your kids to help them unwind. Fill an empty jar with water, glitter, a few drops of food coloring, and some hand soap. Secure the lid tightly, and let your child shake the jar whenever they feel restless after a long school day. Watching the swirling glitter can be a soothing sensory experience that helps them relax.

Dance Your Heart Out

Turn on some music and let your child dance freely around the living room. Dancing is a fantastic way for kids to burn off extra energy, improve coordination, and express themselves creatively. Plus, it’s a fun way to lift their spirits and get some physical activity after a long day at school.

Tell Me a Story

Create an easy and fun activity for preschoolers using small paper chits with random words like “blue” or “rainbow” written on them. Place all the chits in a jar, and each day after school, have your child pick one. They then create an imaginary story using the word from the chit. This is a wonderful way to enhance their imagination and storytelling skills.

Swimming with Dinosaurs

If it’s around 50° outside, bring out the kiddy swimming pool from the garage and fill it with water and bubbles. Let your kids splash around and have fun. This activity not only keeps them entertained but also helps build arm strength as they play and move in the water.

Plant a Seed

Give your child a flower pot and a seed, and teach them how to plant and nurture it into a blooming flower. Through this hands-on activity, they’ll learn the basics of gardening and the importance of taking care of living things. Watching the flower grow will be a rewarding experience, showing them how care and attention can lead to beautiful results.

Indoor Sack Race – After School Activities

Invite your child’s friends over for a fun sack race in the backyard after school. Set up a friendly competition with snacks and prizes to keep the kids motivated. It not only helps build physical strength but also encourages a healthy sense of competitiveness.

Plan a Movie Night

Let your child take charge of planning a family movie night. Give them the task of selecting a popular kids’ movie and picking out snacks for everyone. Help the kids learn responsibility and understand how to consider and cater to others’ preferences, making it a fun way to develop their planning skills.

Dry Leaves and Flowers

Spark your child’s interest in science by showing how salt absorbs moisture. Place fallen leaves and flowers in a jar of salt, and in a few days, they’ll turn dry as the salt draws out the moisture. It’s a simple and fun way to learn a basic scientific concept.

Plus, there are plenty of other activities you can try with your children, such as:

1. Sleepovers
2. Puppet Show
3. Veggie Stamp
4. Calligraphy
5. Bake It
6. Color Sort Your Room
7. Pebble Friends
8. Foam Art
9. Fashion Parade
10. Rainbow Bread
11. Wheat Clay
12. Build a Fort

Do parents realize the impact of after-school activities on their children?

Parents might not always see how much after-school activities impact their children. These activities go beyond academics, shaping social, emotional, and physical growth.

• Academic and Skill Growth
• Social and Emotional Development
• Physical Health
• Diversity and Career Exploration

So, after-school activities are crucial for holistic development, aiding academic success, emotional growth, and physical health. They are key to a child’s overall growth.

Aspire Hub Education: Nurturing Holistic more than Academics

Our approach goes beyond academics; we prioritize helping children cultivate essential soft skills, guiding them to become well-rounded individuals. Our programs are designed to support and encourage comprehensive development in every child.

Give our programs a try! Contact us using the information below and let your kids experience them for themselves.

Address:No. 90, Phan Khiem Ich, Tan Phong Ward, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Contact number: 033 352 0161 
SMS/Whatsapp: +84 033 352 0161
Email address: info@aspirehub.asi

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