Engage children in sports activities after school. Play games of soccer, baseball, softball, basketball or any other type of sport that interests them. You can arrange competitive games, or simply play the games for pure enjoyment. Not only do sports keep elementary-aged children entertained, but they promote gross motor development, help them burn off pent-up energy, promote physical fitness and instill a sense of good sportsmanship.
Play games with elementary-aged children after school. Pull out board or card games, play games on paper or create your own interactive games. Through these games, children increase their vocabulary, learn how to follow directions, learn good sportsmanship and can actually acquire a few new educational skills and concepts. Consider playing traditional board games, such as Monopoly or Scrabble; play card games like Go Fish, Old Maid and War; have children act out different scenes or words in a game of charades; or test their knowledge about different topics with a game of Jeopardy.
Allow children to express their creativity by engaging them in craft-making activities. Set out different arts-and-crafts materials, such as paint, paper, crayons, markers, glue, glitter and anything else you can think of. Encourage children to use the materials to create different crafts. Through craft making, elementary-aged children hone their fine motor skills, learn how to appreciate the varied opinions of others, increase their concentration, gain a sense of pride, express their feelings and emotions, and expand their imaginations.
Turn elementary-aged students into chefs and bakers after school. At the beginning of the week, offer children different recipe cards to choose from or ask them what foods they would like to make. Try to opt for inexpensive and healthy options, though sweet treats are fine in moderation. To really get them into the cooking mindset, present children with chef hats and aprons to wear while baking or cooking. In addition to offering constructive entertainment, cooking also helps children learn about math, helps them learn how to follow directions and provides them with a sense of delayed gratification, as they start a project, follow it through to completion and get to reap the benefits of their work.