5 After-School Activities Your Preschooler Will Love

What your child does after school is equally important to what he does inside the classroom. Regardless of the child’s school level, he will experience various benefits from the right after-school activities.

Preschoolers will benefit from the right after-school activities as well. The appropriate activities will have a positive impact on his, education, and social skills.

This is because after-school activities will help your child relax. Additionally, he will get the chance to learn new skills. More importantly, your preschooler will get more exercise and develop socially.

Fun Home-Based Activities for Preschoolers

You don’t have to enroll your child at a center for an after-school activity he will like. Your preschooler will have fun and enjoy various benefits from simple activities you can arrange for him to do inside and outside your home.

Below are five fun, simple and inexpensive activities you can do with your preschooler after his classes:

1. Obstacle run

If you think your child isn’t getting enough exercise, building him an obstacle course will turn things around.

Use items you already have at home such as pillows, rugs, beanbags, and books to create an obstacle course. Create a fun story or treasure map which your preschooler has to follow.

If you are creating a treasure map, place a reward such as a small chocolate bar or toy for your child to uncover.

In case you have a lawn and the weather is great, do the obstacle course outside. Aside from placing obstacles, set stations with tasks your child has to accomplish. These can include bouncing a ball for a minute or doing 50 jumping jacks.

An obstacle run will help your preschooler get exercise and, at the same time, foster his curiosity.

2. Stage a play

Children love to perform and are naturally talented actors. Tap into your child’s inner acting, writing, and artistic skills by organizing a short play together.

You and your preschooler will be busy for weeks with writing the script and creating props and costumes. You will also have to prepare the stage as well. Once everything is done, perform the play for your family.

The many days you will spend with your little one preparing the play will undoubtedly strengthen your bond. Additionally, this activity will help your child develop his creativity, acting, and public-speaking skills.

3. Arts and crafts projects

Although your preschooler may be exposed to arts and crafts at school, it doesn’t mean you can’t do these activities at home.

Art projects, such as creating something from clay or painting, help kids improve their gross and fine motor skills. When they are given smaller, more delicate art projects to do, they learn to become more self-sufficient.

Moreover, arts and crafts will help preschoolers bring out their creativity.

Examples of simple arts and crafts projects you and your child can work on are:

• Pasta sun catchers
• Galaxy jars
• Wire sculpture
• Scratch art
• Popsicle puppets
• Rice sculptures

4. Go for a walk or hike

Explore the outdoors with your child to help him to learn more about the world. Going for a walk in a nearby park or around the neighborhood is a great form of exercise as well. If there is a mountain or hiking trail near your home, explore it, too.

When you go on these walks, ask your child to stay silent for 10 minutes from time to time. Tell your preschooler to listen carefully to all the sounds around you. Once the 10 minutes are up, discuss with your child what you heard and where the sounds may have come from.

If you want to get some rest during your walks or hikes, sit or lie down for 10 minutes. Again, ask him to listen to the sounds. Engage with a discussion with him when the time is up.

When you incorporate meditative listening in your walks, you will help your child achieve a calm but alert state. Although this is temporary, with continuous practice, he will hone this skill. And this skill will help him with sensory integration.

5. Prepare meals

Lastly, cooking is a fun and tummy-filling activity you should do with your preschooler every day.

Kids love to help in the kitchen. Put this knowledge into good use and let your preschooler help you cook meals or prepare snacks.

Give him easy and safe chores such as manually peeling vegetables or fruits. Let your child whisk the egg or batter. Assist your preschool in sprinkling the recommended amount of salt, sugar, and other spices on dishes (that are not on the stove).

By letting your child help in the kitchen, you encourage him to explore new foods and flavors. It is also an excellent way to help your child develop healthy eating habits.

If your child is enrolled in a school with a British curriculum for nursery, he will certainly enjoy a lot of fun learning activities. However, your little one’s learning experiences don’t have to be confined in the classroom. Prepare fun after-school activities so that learning and playing can continue whenever your child comes home from children’s’ nursery.

At blossom we offer skill play which takes place in the afternoon, we have 2-5 pm or 1-6 pm. Each of our centreshave specific activities that they follow for each term. For information on activities please coordinate with centre managers directly otherwise you can call 800nursery to connect you to the management team for that specific centre.