6 After School Activities Your Babysitter Can Do With Your Kids

Kids are known to be giant balls of energy, even if they’ve been occupied for a day at a friend’s house or even at school. Keeping your children busy with activities when they get home from school may be difficult to do on your own, but it can even be a bigger challenge for the person you hire as a babysitter. While you know the ins and outs of your children, including their fun pastimes, your babysitter may need some extra time to get to know them and what they like to do.

While time is necessary for your babysitter to create a healthy, positive relationship with your children, the moments to make this bond may not be available right away if you have a fussy or anxious child needing some type of immediate activity to distract them or stimulate them in some way.

Though it is your babysitter’s job to do activities and engage with your children, you as the parent can do your part and come up with after-school activities that will take a load off of both you and your babysitter. Here are a handful you can recommend, but remember to also embrace your creative side as you come up with more!

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1. Create Your Own Play: There is nothing better than playing pretend “house” or something else when you’re a kid, so why not have your babysitter join in on the fun of pretend play by suggesting to create a play with your kids? Have your babysitter ask your kids what their favorite stories or movies are. From there, they can recreate the film or story by gathering props from around the house, clothes from your closet, blankets, etc. Anything that can add to the fun of the play, use it! The imagination of a kid is endless, so if you have a broom that operates as a horse, that works!

2. Paint Objects From Nature: A great way to disconnect your kids from the TV or their tablet, painting objects from nature gets them outside and also helps to foster their imagination again. Have your babysitter take your kids outside and find objects in the yard that can be painted, such as an acorn, a leaf, a small rock, etc. Then, bring them inside, line a table with some newspaper or protective plastic, and get the paints out! Encourage the kids to have fun and paint the objects in whatever pattern or colors they like.

3. Try a Slime Concoction: Parents shy away from slime because it can become a huge mess, and it’s understandable, but have your babysitter and kids make slime in a controlled area that is easy to clean. There are a bunch of different slime recipes out there, but STEM Sational has a great non-sticky slime recipe that has only three ingredients: white glue, shaving cream, and laundry starch. This slime recipe is not watery or too slimy, which saves you and the babysitter the hassle of tough clean-ups. Add sparkles, beads, felt cutouts, etc., to the mix for extra fun!

4. Make Different Foods “In a Bag:” Another excellent way for your babysitter to engage with your kids in an educational yet fun way is by making different foods in a Ziploc bag- yes, you can do that! For example, Delish Kids has a super simple recipe for making bread in a bag that only involves a few household ingredients and is hassle-free by kneading in a bag. For a sweet treat, Delish also has a recipe for making ice cream in a bag that is even less elaborate and requires fewer ingredients!

5. Have a Scavenger Hunt: Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? A scavenger hunt is a great way to get your kids up and moving around with your babysitter. Have the sitter locate different items in the house and place them in hidden areas, then encourage your kids to search carefully for each item. Whenever someone finds an item, issue a small reward like a toy to make the game even more fun.

6. Don’t Forget About Physical Games: With board games, the options are endless! Puzzles are a great way to calm kids down if they are a little rambunctious, while also getting them to think critically about where each puzzle piece goes. Consider having your babysitter ask the kids about their interests, such as what animated character they love, what their favorite animal is, etc., and get a puzzle that has a favorite on it. This will make them excited and eager to complete it with you! Additionally, board games like Connect Four, Trouble, Operation, Candy Land, Monopoly, etc., are another great option to play.

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When it comes to entertaining your children after school, your babysitter can go the route of board games, making concoctions in the house, or even venturing outdoors for arts and crafts. There are plenty of options out there, and everyone is destined to find something fun in the process!