5 Easy After-School Activities

September 01, 2019

The kids are back at school but there’s still so much fun to be had (plus, where do they get all that energy from?). Make every moment an adventure and check out our top tips for quick and easy after-school activities the whole family will love.

Two kids bundled up in autumn clothes playing on a makeshift go-kart.
A little girl painting golden leaves laid out on a table.

LEAF PAINTING

Now that fall's calling, there’s no better time to give leaf painting a go! All you need is a large sheet of paper, a collection of skinny paint brushes and some leaves in various sizes. Have fun bundling a bunch of leaves from your garden first, then bring them inside and lay them out on your pre-set table. Splodge some paint in any colour you like over the paper then get the little ones to use the leaves to swish the paint around however they like. Get them to experiment with different brush techniques and colours to really get the creative juices flowing...

FORAGING

Make the most of the sunshine before it starts to cool down by foraging in your garden or local woodland. To make it more fun, create a sheet first with things you’d like the little ones to find – we’d suggest a feather, golden leaf, acorn, and a colourful flower. They can then stick their treasures to the sheet with a bit of tape as a little keepsake that they can hang up on the fridge or in their bedroom.

If you want make it more competitive, why not give out points for each item your child finds from the list? You can then award a prize that the whole family can enjoy.

A little girl with short brown hair foraging for blackberries.
Delicious healthy flapjacks wrapped in brown eco paper.

MAKE HEALTHY ENERGY BARS

Creating tasty treats is the ultimate rainy day activity, and there are plenty of no-bake recipes that you can do in under an hour with the kids. This recipe for delicious fruity oat bars is super healthy and so easy to do.

Ingredients

  • 150g peanut butter
  • 150g honey or agave syrup
  • 2tsp vanilla extract
  • 200g porridge oats (you can use gluten-free oats too)
  • 50g puffed oats (again, use gluten-free if required)
  • 75g pumpkin seeds
  • 125g roughly chopped dates

Method

  1. Grab a deep tin (around 30 x 23cm deep), grease and line with baking paper.
  2. Place the honey, peanut butter and vanilla extract into a microwaveable dish and pop in the microwave for 45 seconds. Stir and heat for a further 10 seconds. The mixture should be completely melted and smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to fully coat.
  3. Place the ingredients from the bowl into the tin. Wet your hands and press down so that the mixture is nice and even.
  4. Place in the fridge for about 2 hours, or until the mixture is solid.
  5. Slice up and enjoy! The bars will last for about 1 week in an airtight container placed in the fridge.
Freshly baked healthy flapjacks placed on a cooling rack.
Conkers on a piece of string.

PLAY CONKERS

Now that conkers are beginning to fall, it’s time to play this classic two-player playground game. You can find them all over the ground – look for a conker that’s uncracked, firm and symmetrical. Once you’ve helped your children find the perfect conkers, make a hole through the middle and thread a piece of string through them, tying a knot at the end.

It’s really easy to play – the aim is to smash your opponent’s conker, or knock it off the string to win. Toss a coin to determine who goes first, then the winner will get to take the first swing. The other player should wrap the loose end of the string around one finger, holding the conker out at arm’s length. Make sure they hold it completely still – they must not flinch, swing or sway when player one takes a swing. If the player who won the coin toss strikes their opponent’s conker then they get another go. If they miss, the players switch places.

CREATE CONKER PEOPLE

Now, we’ll let their imagination run wild on this one, but with a few simple steps you can create conker people! When you forage for conkers for the game, grab a few more so that you can make the conker people on a rainy day.

What you’ll need...

  • Around 6 conkers
  • Lollipop sticks
  • Acorns, leaves and other fauna to decorate
  • Glue
  • Metal skewer for the holes (do this first away from the kids)

How you do it...

  1. Once you’ve foraged for all the bits you need, make a small hole in the conkers using the metal skewer. This is where the legs and arms will sit.
  2. Hand the conkers back to the little ones and get them to place the lollipop sticks into the holes.
  3. Start decorating your conker people! Stick leaves onto the arms, then use the crown of the acorn for a fun hat. The options are endless...
A bunch of conkers in cupped hands, and homemade conker people.

We’ve love to see you and your family having a go at some of our easy after-school activities. Tag us on Instagram using #fatfacemoments for the chance to be featured on our website.

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