Ever wondered what the best after school program ideas for kids are? Then you’ve come to the right place, whether you’re a parent looking for options for your kids or a teacher developing a program.
In this article, we’re going to go over more than 100 ideas, from sports and music to animation and theater.
Ready? Then let’s get started!
What are the best after-school activity ideas?
When it comes to finding the best after-school activity for your child or your school, there are tons of options to choose from.
Whether they like playing outdoors, making something creative, or learning an instrument, there’s an after-school program for every child.
But are after-school activities actually important for kids?
The short answer: Yes.
After-school activities can benefit your kids in many ways. They encourage children to work as a team, help them learn creative problem-solving skills, and keep them active.
Kids also develop healthy habits and gain confidence from activities and programs. Plus, they offer them the chance to learn new skills in a structured and stress-free environment.
Here are just a few ideas for after-school activities:
- Animation. Making stop motion videos, Sketching
- Playing games. Board games, Card games, Charades, Fort building, Using Legos
- Sports. Basketball, Parkour, Ultimate frisbee, Bike riding, Tennis, Rock climbing
- Music. Instrument lessons, Singing classes, Musical theater classes, Going to concerts
- Arts and crafts. Painting, Drawing, Making jewelry, Clay sculpting, Printmaking
- STEM. Coding, Robotics, Taking apart old electronic devices, Astronomy, Chemistry
- Creative play. Fantasy storytelling, DIY projects, Sewing clothes, Building a fairy garden
- Theater. Sock puppet theater, Watching a play together, Costume designing
- Cooking. Cooking dinner, Letting your kids shop for groceries, Collecting eggs
- Gardening. Turning old buckets into planters, Making a butterfly garden, Sowing seeds
- Outdoor fun. Climbing, Swimming, Riding bikes, Doing nature scavenger hunts
Now that you know some of the activities kids can do after school, let’s have a more in-depth look at each one.
100+ program ideas children can do after school
Here, we’ll look at 11 subjects and cover over 100 after school program ideas for kids.
Whether your child likes team sports, creative play, technical subjects, or music, you’ll find something here to interest them, as well as lots of resources to help along the way.
Ready to jump in? Let’s go!
Animation
Animation is a great after-school activity for kids. It teaches technical skills, encourages creativity, and builds storytelling ability.
Children can do this activity in pairs or groups, so it’s a great opportunity to create fun memories. And not only that, it also helps children strengthen their relationships, build social skills, and learn about teamwork.
Whether you work on an animation project alongside your child or they do it with their friends, it’ll be a special bonding experience.
And there are many ways children could practice animation. Depending on their age and interests, they could take an animation course, practice with claymation, sketch a storyboard, or make a stop-motion video.
These activities will help them develop their creative thinking and provide some well-deserved after-school fun.
And I know firsthand how exciting the world of animation can be.
When I founded the Academy of Animated Art, I wanted to teach people how to turn their passion into a creative career in animation.
But I didn’t want to stop there.
Now, I’ve developed an animation program specifically for kids. It’s a great after-school activity that teaches a wide range of skills like writing, planning, math, communication, and problem-solving.
So what sets this program apart?
It’s a hands-on course that introduces children to the world of animation and teaches them artistic and technical skills in a fun, engaging way. Check out our After School Animation Program to learn more.
Here are ten after school program ideas to consider if you’d like to introduce your child to animation:
- Drawing flip-books
- Claymation
- Re-creating favorite movie or cartoon scenes
- Animation for kids program from AAA
- Checking out animation-related books from the library
- Sketching
- Making a playdough animation sequence
- Creating a storyboard
- Making a stop-motion video
- Learning to use a 3D animation tool like Mine-Imator
Sports
If your child takes up sports as an after-school activity, they’ll receive many benefits.
For example, sports build mental and physical health and give children an outlet for their energy. Regular physical activity helps children stay healthy and can even become a habit they keep their whole lives!
Plus, spending time doing sports is a great break from sitting inside and looking at screens.
There are a variety of sports to choose from, though some areas might not have the facilities for all of them. A great way to find a sport for your child is to check out the team activities and sports facilities available in your area.
Depending on your child’s interests, they could take a dance class or join a yoga group. Or, if they like outdoor team sports, they might enjoy basketball or ultimate frisbee.
And even in places that don’t offer sports facilities, children can still stay active with sports like bike riding, running, and skateboarding.
Encouraging your child to try a sport is a great way for them to meet new friends, stay active, and develop new interests.
Here are some sports that your child might enjoy:
- Basketball
- Dance classes
- Swimming
- Bike riding
- Skateboarding and rollerblading
- Parkour
- Yoga
- Rock climbing
- Tennis
- Track and field
- Ultimate frisbee
Music
Did you know over half of American adults regret not learning a musical instrument? That’s A LOT of people.
Whether they’re learning to play an instrument or simply listening to and engaging with music, there are a ton of benefits for kids.
Knowing how to play an instrument opens up a whole new space for creative expression. Plus, playing instruments as a group can be a fun and creative activity, and it’s a great way for your child to meet new friends and interact with them.
There’s also a huge music community out there that supports new learners and offers many possibilities. Your child could take lessons to learn to write music and play an instrument. They could join a choir, or you could even go to concerts and festivals together!
Unfortunately, music classes and instruments can be expensive. But luckily, there are low-cost or free resources available.
Many public libraries have musical instruments available to borrow to anyone with a library card. And when it comes to learning to play music, there are some great free online music lessons for kids that you can use.
There are so many reasons to encourage your child to get involved with music. And, with high-quality free resources available, there’s never been an easier time for kids to engage with music and learn to play an instrument.
Think your child might benefit from music? Then check out these great after-school music activities:
- Instrument lessons
- Singing classes
- Musical theater classes
- Going to concerts
- Joining a choir or band
- Learning to write music
- Music and movement classes
- Music therapy
- Going to music festivals
- Building your own instruments
- Visiting interactive music museums
Arts & crafts
Doing arts and crafts after school is a great way for your child to build creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
Painting, drawing, making jewelry, and sculpting are just some of the activities they could do.
Through hands-on projects, they’ll learn to persevere and work through challenges. And finishing a project will give your child a huge sense of accomplishment, boosting their self-esteem.
Children can do arts and crafts activities in pairs or groups, so they can learn together while also building friendships and improving social skills.
Here are some of the many activities your child could do:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Making jewelry
- Clay sculpting
- Printmaking
- Making your own T-shirts
- Digital arts
- Origami
- Sewing
- Knitting
- Scrapbooking
- Drama
- DIY crafts from recycled materials
STEM-focused
Would you like to ignite a love for learning in your child? Then STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs may be the perfect choice.
Unlike many other disciplines, STEM programs are usually very hands-on. Kids get to do experiments, test theories, and build things. Subjects are also taught in a fun and interactive way, which should capture your child’s attention.
Taking a STEM program as a child can ignite a lifelong love of learning about the world.
Plus, these programs often connect science, technology, engineering, and math to the real world, showing how these subjects are used to solve problems in everyday life. This takes subjects that can seem abstract and boring and makes them relevant and fun.
STEM programs are all about solving problems, enabling your child to learn critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The world is constantly changing, so helping your child develop these skills can be hugely beneficial to them later on in life when they enter the workforce.
And, since most STEM programs rely on teamwork, they’ll learn to work together to brainstorm ideas, find solutions, and communicate their findings.
However, these programs don’t just provide students with valuable technical knowledge and skills. They also give kids a sense of confidence in their own abilities. Finding solutions and building things that work is immensely rewarding.
But where can you find high-quality courses?
There are all kinds of STEM programs available for kids. Udemy and Code Monkey offer highly rated and inexpensive courses.
If you’re looking for free programs, Khan Academy offers a free app aimed at learners from age 2 to 8.
And for children interested in space science, NASA has a program called the NASA Kid’s Club that has educational material on space, rockets, and earth science.
If this sounds like an activity your child would enjoy, check out these STEM projects:
- Coding
- Robotics
- Taking apart old electronic devices
- Astronomy
- Chemistry experiments
- Egg drop challenges
- Flight challenges
- 3D printing workshop
- Building rockets
- Making boats from recycled materials
Creative play
Creative play after-school programs are great for kids because they help them develop a whole range of skills in an engaging way.
Through creative activities, children are encouraged to explore their interests and express themselves freely. This boosts creativity and grows their imagination.
Creative play programs are also great for your child’s emotional development. They get to process their emotions in a safe environment and learn to express themselves through art, dance, and other mediums.
Plus, they’ll build their confidence and self-esteem and learn to share and work collaboratively with others.
By making things like costumes and puppets, kids will discover how to work through problems and find solutions, as well as how to ask for help and persevere.
Here are some creative play activities that your child might enjoy:
- Fantasy storytelling
- DIY projects
- Making your own clothes
- Puppet show
- Building mini-cities with Lego or blocks
- Making stop-motion animation
- Writing your own music
- Redecorating
- Creative dancing
- Building a fairy garden
Literature and theater-related
Literature and theater after-school programs ignite imaginations, open a world of stories, and offer benefits that will extend far beyond school.
Bringing books, poems, and plays into your child’s life will expand their vocabulary and help them to communicate clearly. These communication skills will serve them well in whatever career they choose later in life.
It will also help them in their day-to-day lives. Being able to communicate clearly and explain things to people is helpful in any interaction, especially when dealing with things like interviews and presentations.
Another benefit of literature or theater after-school programs is that they expose your child to a wide range of characters and situations – many more than they have in their real lives. Through books and plays, they can explore a variety of different perspectives and beliefs.
Plus, theater programs encourage collaboration and help children build strong listening, memory, and focus skills, which they’ll be thankful for later in life.
Through stories and plays, a child’s imagination is opened to endless possibilities. And after seeing what’s possible, they’ll want to create their own stories and imaginary worlds.
Remarkably, fostering a love of literature early on in a child’s life sets them up to be a lifelong learner. Kids who love to read are constantly learning and expanding their horizons.
Reading to children and encouraging them to read also sets them up for success in a variety of ways.
Think literature and theater-related after school programs may suit your child? Then check out these ideas:
- Sock puppet theater
- Watching a play together
- Creating your own play
- Costume designing
- Scriptwriting
- Making props
- Reading together
- Writing lyrics/stories/poems
- Going to backstage tours
- Attending library read-alouds
Cooking
Cooking with your children and teaching them about food through after-school programs encourages healthy eating and shows them where food comes from.
Bringing kids to farms, showing them how fruits and vegetables are grown, and teaching them about farm animals helps them to make a connection between what they see on their plate and the world around them.
Fun activities like strawberry picking, collecting eggs, shopping for groceries, and helping to cook dinner will also make your child more eager to learn about cooking and food.
Kids cooking classes can be a great way to teach them, as well as programs like the Young Chefs Academy, which offers classes, parties, camps, and programs to make it fun for your child to learn about cooking and food.
Here are some more food-related ideas for your child:
- Cooking dinner
- Letting your kids shop for groceries
- Harvesting
- Strawberry picking
- Collecting eggs
- Making cooking videos
- Writing recipes
- Collecting mushrooms
- Learning to milk a cow
- Apple picking
Gardening
Gardening programs are a great way for kids to get outside and learn about food, nature, and how things grow.
Gardening and caring for plants gives children an appreciation for healthy eating and can have a long-term positive impact on what a child chooses to eat. They see the hard work that goes into growing food and may be more likely to eat healthier food after they’ve grown it themselves.
Plus, through caring for a garden, kids will learn about how plants grow and what they need to survive. It’s a blend of fun outdoors, learning about healthy eating, and science.
Many schools and parks have community gardens that offer gardening programs for children or volunteering opportunities.
The Youth Garden Project offers after-school clubs and workshops where kids can play and learn in the outdoors.
Here are some more gardening ideas for kids:
- Hunting for bugs
- Mowing the lawn
- Cutting down trees
- Sowing seeds
- Repurposing egg cartons into seed starters
- Turning old buckets into planters
- Making a butterfly garden
- Building a creepy crawly castle
- Playing in the mud
- Having a garden scavenger hunt
Outdoor fun
Outdoor after-school programs for kids have wide-ranging benefits.
Such as?
They allow children to spend time outside, which builds their health through physical activity.
Running, jumping, climbing, and playing outside are also great for mental and emotional well-being. Outdoor fun provides a perfect outlet for energy and emotions. After a long day at school, being outside in the fresh air is very beneficial.
Plus, many programs include group activities, which teach children social skills and encourage teamwork. Activities like volunteering, swimming, riding bikes, and going on scavenger hunts get kids passionate about spending time outside.
Through programs like the Youth Outdoor Workshops, kids can learn outdoor skills while having fun in nature.
Sound good? Here are some more outdoor activity ideas:
- Volunteering outdoors
- Going through an obstacle course
- Climbing
- Swimming
- Riding bikes
- Doing nature scavenger hunts
- Backyard camping
- Water activities
- Chalk art on the sidewalk
- Outdoor movie
- Water slides
Playing games
Playing games after school is a simple but great activity for kids.
It challenges them mentally and improves their problem-solving skills and focus.
Many games require you to plan ahead, and some encourage thinking outside the box. These mental exercises feel fun when they’re part of a game, making kids more likely to think creatively.
Plus, many games require children to interact with others, which grows their social skills and emotional intelligence. Even video games can be a group activity, helping kids connect with others – 67% of parents play video games with their kids at least once a week.
After a day spent in school, being able to play a fun game is a great way for kids to unwind.
Games are good opportunities for kids to express and understand their emotions. Whether it’s winning, losing, or just having fun, games give children an opportunity to share their emotions in a comfortable environment.
Games also help children grow their imaginations. Building a castle with blocks or inventing a story around Lego are just two examples of how playing can nurture creative thinking.
And kids can even get a confidence boost from mastering a game. Winning can increase their self-esteem and make them want to grow their skills in other areas.
Playing games after school is also a great way for kids to boost their problem-solving skills, grow their emotional intelligence, increase their confidence, and have fun.
Here are some game ideas for your child:
- Board games
- Card games
- Charades
- Fort building
- Scavenger hunts
- Video game parties
- Trivia quizzes
- Dress up games
- Building blocks
- Lego building
Next steps
There you have it! Now you have lots of after school program ideas to consider. We’ve covered outdoor sports, group activities, STEM subjects, and everything in between.
The next step is to choose a program that’s right for your child. And whatever their interests are, there are many options to help them get outside, make friends, grow their social skills, and learn about new topics.
Want to learn more about animation as an after-school program activity?
Take a look at our after school program here.
