Fun After-School Activities

With the new school year and term starting (or having just started) many parents are looking for fun after school activities to entertain their children between the hour or hour and a half between landing home and having tea. 

Even the youngest school starters will soon be bring books home for reading time (initially these may be picture books for you to look at and discuss what you think is happening). It may be that doing the reading homework is best done as soon as little ones get home and before they start getting sleepy. Some children might do better with this reading in bed however bear this activity in mind when mapping out others. 

Colouring In 

Such a simple activity yet perfect for after school as it calms and entertains at the same time. There is a wealth of free colouring in sheet printables available online (Pinterest especially) so that whether your little one is into colouring in Minions or more generic scenes you can have something ready. 

Scavenger Hunt 

If your children need to blow off some steam at the end of the day putting together an in-house or garden scavenger hunt will keen them amused and let them do just that! Organise your clues based on a theme such as pirates or princes and princesses or go for something more basic. If you time it right they will enjoy running around and finding mini treasures right up until tea time. 

Art and Crafts 

There are so many art and craft projects that are perfect for after school, from playdough play to beading and beyond. Look for seasonal easy craft ideas (we love to visit RedTedArt for inspiration) and have everything set out ready for when they get home. 

Get Outside 

If the weather is playing ball get outside and blow off the cobwebs. In autumn and winter there are leaves, acorns and of course conkers to find and spring and summer are perfect for flower picking and frisbee throwing. A visit to the park or a walk around a field, either and both offer a great healthy after school activity. 

Cookery 

Why not have your little ones help with tea preparation or perhaps making a pudding? A chore for you is very grown up and exciting for them and many hands make light work (and possibly a little mess!) 

This Educo Chef Apron set offers the perfect cookery or baking accessories for your mini chef!

Play Games 

Pull out their favourite board games or get adventurous with something like Twister and let them laugh, play and enjoy with you or each other if you have more than one child. Card games are also great and may be tailored to suit all ages as well as helping with matching and number skills. 

Free Play 

Having after school activities planned is a great idea as it keeps children occupied, lets them blow off steam or calm and settle after a busy day, is fun and bridges that gap between home time and eating time. Sometimes it is nice however to simply let them have some free play time to do what they want, be that to play in their rooms, get the Lego out, ride around the garden or just enjoy half an hour in front of the TV. 

Do you have after school activity hints and tips to share?  

Picnic Time!

It's that time of the year again when sunny summer days are welcomed by families who enjoy being out and about in the fresh air. As we all know that British summer weather may be unpredicatble at times it makes sense to enjoy the good weather when it's here! Picnics of course play a big part in the magic that is a family day out.

Where to Go
All you really need when looking for somewhere to enjoy a picnic is some flat ground or picnic benches. This means that there are thousands of places to go! Check out the Forestry Commission for details of their maintained forest walks and cycle routes, visit the English Heritage and National Trust websites for inspiration and of course why not explore your local area? There's bound to be some great local picnic-friendly places you may play football, throw frisbees, pick flowers, hunt for bugs, fly a kite and more.

*Top tip: If you shop at Tesco you may currently use your Clubcard vouchers as part of their Clubcard Boost scheme to buy English Heritage membership for the family, effectively visiting a number of wonderful historical sites for free!

Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire - a great day out via the Forestry Commission.

What to Eat
When it comes to picnics the sky is the limit! For really imaginiative picnic food ideas head over to Pinterest which is packed full of great ideas. For us here at Dotty Hippo HQ we go for the simple pleasures such as cold pasta, sandwiches, fruit and crisps, straw or bottle drinks (important to have plenty to drink if warm) and items such as chopped up sausages or similar.

Many find a coolbox to be quite unwieldy, especially if you plan to eat on the go rather than at the car or at a set base. The easiest way to organise a picnic on the go is to pack individual lunches that everyone, including the little ones may carry on their back and use a cool pack or similar to keep things fresh.

Outdoor Games
Hide and seek is a popular outdoor game although with very little ones may need extra monitoring! Spotting guides make for great fun for older children, especially if you are somewhere where there is a lot of wildlife. For simple fun take a ball, a frisbee, organise running races or maybe even put together a small treasure hunt for the children.

When visiting a number of outdoor attractions children are often provided with maps, worksheets, items to spot and more.

The beauty of picnics is that even when the weather lets us down and the rain pours a carpet picnic may be equally fun. Lay a blanket down, invite teddy bear friends and eat your yummy treats indoors.

Where do you like to go for your picnics? Do you have any fabulous local hideaways to share? We'd love to hear what makes the perfect picnic time for you and your family.