Screen-free after school activities for the cool change

By Alexis Teasdale @thecrafternoon.co

Those post-school moods can be real, especially if kids are tired and have the hangries. To avoid them heading straight onto screens, here are some creative ways to keep them entertained. Just add a snack plate, and you’ll be sorted!

Cookie decorating

Speaking of treats, we have never had this activity miss! Basic cookie decorating is actually easier than it sounds. You can go all out and bake your own cookies, OR simply buy a pack of milk biscuits from the supermarket. Again, you can keep it simple with store bought icing, sprinkles and desiccated coconut. Or for a healthier option, you could do a thick Greek yogurt with fruits as the toppings!

What you need: milk biscuits, icing, sprinkles, small bowls, butter knife/spoon

1. Put biscuits on plates or baking paper.
2. Add a small amount of icing to each child’s bowl.
3. Let them spread icing onto the biscuits.
4. Decorate with sprinkles or small toppings.
5. Eat one, save one, or make a mini “cookie gallery”.

Flower or leaf paper plate

For younger kids, you can prep this earlier (takes less than 5 minutes), or older children can create it from scratch. You simply cut out the middle of the plate (in a shape if they want!) then let them decorate the outside. Add a piece of clear contact paper on the back, sticky side facing you, so they can go outside and find leaves and flowers to decorate the middle!

What you need: paper plate, sticky contact paper, leaves/flowers/petals, scissors

1. Cut the middle out of a paper plate to make a frame, and decorate.
2. Stick contact paper across the open middle, sticky side facing up.
3. Let kids press leaves, petals, or small flowers onto the sticky area.
4. Add another piece of contact paper on top to seal it if you want!
5. Trim the edges and hang it in a window.

Melty beads

Great for older kids with good dexterity, melty beads/ Hama beads/ Perler beads, depending on what you call them, are seriously mindful and addictive. You can buy affordable sets at places like Kmart, Spotlight and online for around $10 and they will last you months and months. They most often come with a big mixed tub, a few small clear plastic peg boards and some designs to place underneath. Just the finding and sorting of colours alone is a relaxing activity, and then they can create their own shapes and designs. Ironing is best left to the adults. Simply place a sheet of baking paper on top and press for a few seconds. If kids want, they can add a “hook” to the top of their design with a few extra beads, so they can turn it into a bag charm or hang it on the wall.

What you need: Perler beads, pegboards, design cards or simple ideas

1. Set beads in a small bowl or tray.
2. Choose a simple design, like a heart, star, fruit, or initials.
3. Place beads onto the pegboard one by one.
4. Once finished, an adult irons the design according to the bead instructions.
5. Let it cool before removing it from the board.

Scavenger hunt sheet

If the weather is fine, make the most of it and send them outside with a scavenger sheet on a clipboard! Fresh air, fun and a bit of competition thrown in for good measure. Maybe they get a treat for finding a full board?!

Find a printable scavenger hunt sheet at crafternoonco.com.au/printables.

What you need: printable scavenger hunt sheet, clipboard, pencil/marker

1. Give each child a scavenger hunt sheet.
2. Explain where they can search, such as the garden, balcony or living room if it’s wet.
3. Kids tick off or draw each item as they find it.
4. For extra fun, set a timer.
5. Bring everyone back to the table to compare finds.

Drawing jar

This is the activity that keeps giving! Give them a jar and strips of plain paper. They can whip up 20-30 drawing prompts like “Orca jumping out of the ocean”, “magical land creature”, “something with horns”, and then fold them up and pop them in the jar. They can then choose a prompt, and give themselves a time limit with an egg timer or phone timer! Kids can even challenge themselves to get the time down as the weeks go by.

What you need: jar, paper strips, pencils/markers, egg timer

1. Write simple drawing prompts on small strips of paper.
2. Fold them and pop them into a jar.
3. Each child picks one prompt.
4. Set the egg timer for 5–10 minutes.
5. When time is up, share the drawings or pick a new prompt.

Want to get crafty IRL? Visit Crafternoon Co at 86 Duthy St, Malvern or follow @thecrafternoon.co to see what workshops are coming up!

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