When it comes to homework, most kids come straight home and complete it so that they have the rest of the evening to themselves and do not have their work hanging over their heads. Sometimes, however, being creative, getting some fresh air, and even some exercises are more important than sitting down after a long day of learning just to do more work. And for those days, kids and parents can always find things to do directly after school than homework.
Be it a tough day at school, a beautiful afternoon outside, or a last-minute opportunity at having some fun, there are just days where doing homework after school is just not going to happen. And those are the days kids are going to have fond memories of. Not only did they get to bend the rules a little, but they also got to spend some quality time with their parents as well. Both things of which all kids enjoy.
Here are things to do directly after school other than homework.
6 Build A Cardboard Fort
A fun activity to do after school is building a cardboard fort. And the best part about the building is that there is no right or wrong way to build one.
Depending upon how many cardboard boxes are available, everything from a small fort to a large castle can be built. Once completed, imaginations will fly being transported to magical places where kids and their toys are the stars of the show. The only problem with building with cardboard boxes after school is that it will be so much fun that returning to do homework may prove to be a bit tricky. But perhaps with the promise that as soon as homework is done, playtime can start again, homework will be completed correctly the first time around in a flash!
5 Plant A Garden
Depending upon the time of year, planting a garden is a fun activity to do to push off doing homework for a bit. And the best part is that with some TLC, the benefits of the garden will be realized just months after putting the baby plants into the soil.
If it is still a bit cold to plant a garden, planting some seedlings to be transferred when they are mature enough is a great way to begin a garden as well. By starting with just a few seeds, kids can watch how a plant matures from seed to the time the product is picked and watch, literally, the fruits of their labor come to life before their eyes.
4 Chase Some Butterflies
For those who have butterfly-attracting plants, take some time to run among the flowers and chase some butterflies along the way.
There are very few times in life when people take a moment to really interact with nature. By being in a butterfly's habitat with it and watching how it flitters and flutters from flower to flower or how it flies through the air so gracefully will help kids not only burn off some energy but put them in an emotionally calm place where they will be prepared to do homework when they come back inside.
3 Watch The Clouds
Most people are so wrapped up with their lives or are on their smartphones that they forget to look up at the sky. And if they did, they would see some pretty amazing clouds above their heads.
Be it in the backyard, a field amongst the flowers, or open green space, taking the opportunity to lay down on a blanket and look at the clouds will let the imagination flow. By clearing the mind from all of the chaos of the day and discovering different animals, shapes, and objects in the clouds, when kids return home, they will feel refreshed and ready to tackle homework no longer being burdened by any issues that may have happened during the day.
2 Do A Puzzle
To keep the brain primed and ready to do homework when it is not ready to get to work, doing a puzzle will keep everything firing on all cylinders.
Young or old, just about everyone loves a good challenge in the form of a puzzle. Because of this, both kids and parents alike can enjoy time with one another catching up on the day and decompressing from both school and work together. That is, of course, unless the puzzle is insanely difficult to do. Then it might just prove to be nothing but frustration. But because it is being worked on together, it is a precious time where memories are being made.
1 Help Prepare A Meal
For some, cooking is a stressful undertaking. For others, cooking is a time to be creative and have fun. To find out which camp kids fall into, have them help prepare a meal after school instead of jumping into homework right away.
Cooking is part science and part art. And the younger kids start in the kitchen, the less intimidated they are by it. As such, by taking time after school frequently to help with tried-and-true recipes they will have accumulated a wealth of cooking knowledge at a young age, all because they did not start on their homework right away after school
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