100 Days of After School Activities to Connect with your Child

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We all have good intentions as moms. We’d like to have good, strong relationships with our kids. But there’s also a to-do list that’s a million miles long.

We may have multiple children, children who require more attention than others, jobs outside the home, jobs inside the home and our list of responsibilities is never ending.

Connecting with our kids does not have to take hours and hours, even doing it every day. We will surprise ourselves when we realize just how simple and FUN it really is! Here’s a great list to help you enjoy special moments with your little one.

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100 Days Of Activities To Help Connect With Your Kids After School

I have compiled a list of 100 days of activities that you and your kids will both enjoy. Some are super simple and take less than 5 minutes, while others can take longer if you wish.

Nothing is overly expensive or requires a ton of preparation.

They are all perfect for bringing you and your child together while doing something positive TOGETHER. These will help you connect with your child.

Here are 100 Days of Activities:

1. Make white crayon imprints & water paint together.
2. Play ball or bean bag toss in a laundry basket.
3. Create a homemade tic-tac toe with stones / shiny things.
4. Do mazes together.
5. Draw with sidewalk chalk.
6. Play and eat (cookies!) Bake together! (Can be real or pretend).
7. Play cars or dolls together.
8. Stack plastic cups as high as you can go! (towers)
9. Make colored ice cubes and put them in your drink later.
10. Play I spy with a cardboard tube – i spy my sister! i spy the cat!
11. Make homemade booklets. Simply by folding paper and using a stapler if you’d like.
12. Have an indoor scavenger hunt. Take photos of toys and print to find (or show on your phone) and have your child find the objects.
13. Use a geoboard! Perhaps with some printable cards of shapes?
14. Playdough world!—create a fantasy world.
15. Make yarn pictures / circles / shapes. cardboard + glue + yarn = easy fun
16. Mix up pictures. head / body / feet – funny
17. Draw on cardboard boxes.
18. Act like different animals (jump like a kangaroo, run like a cheetah, moo like a cow)
19. Use pipe cleaners to make an animal. Snakes are easiest! + googly eyes
20. Play pick up sticks with color kebabs
21. Use popsicle sticks to make a picture
22. Stick stickers
23. Finger print art / funny characters
24. Make a collage for the kitchen wall! ( buttons / shiny stuff)
25. Play Simon says and make silly faces! Body part recognition (hop on one foot and stick out your tongue).
26. Make your own puzzle from a picture.
27. Smelling game! Cotton balls in a cup, then you guess what it is: vanilla, peppermint, coconut oil etc
28. Draw shapes in a thick black marker, then turn them into funny characters with color pens/pencils/crayons.
29. Crumple paper up and drip color on it. Then open and see the shapes and designs.
30. Color mixing! Yellow, red and blue blobs and mix.
31. Start a garden.
32. Plant chia to grow a hair dude. (This can be done in a used eggshell, and you can draw a face on it).
33. Trace hands / feet compare / turn them into silly pictures.
34. Fold a blank piece of paper in half. Ask your child to paint a design on one side of the paper using tempera paint. Then fold the paper together, pressing the painted side against the blank side. Unfold the paper to reveal that a mirror image of her design has appeared. Talk about how the two images are the same and different.
35. Tooth picks and playdough construction.
36. Make decorative chains together (to count down to the next holiday).
37. Glue + food coloring + toothpick = leave to dry = awesome window hanging
38. Fold paper in on itself to make a fan after you have drawn pretty pictures on it! If you want, you can tape it to a craft stick.
39. Tape a bunch of straws together to make a wind flute (different lengths).
40. Balloons + rice = stress balls or a bean bag type thing to play with!
41. Make some flowers from crepe paper or pompom and a pipe cleaner to brighten up the table / window still.
42. Make cards to mail to grandparents / family far away.
43. Use q-tips and paint to make a dot picture.
44. Fire works in a jar, use water and drop food coloring. Wonder what would happen if a layer of oil was on top?
45. Craft stick catapult + target
46. Make a yarn doll or dude.
47. Small cups baking soda, drop of coloring, and more soda to cover, then use a dropper with vinegar to explode it to make a rainbow! (do on a paper towel to see the color spread.)
48. Punch butterflies and make a canvas or stick on a stick. You could also add leaves.
49. Blow paint to create a neat canvas. (Could work for flowers or monsters).
50. Toss and stick! (Use a circle and make a web with tape; toss pom poms onto it.)
51. Make umbrellas with cupcake holders and pipe cleaners.
52. Floating ball. Bowl, ping pong ball and straw.
53. Make a lava bottle using oil + food coloring.
54. Go treasure hunting! (pirate)
55. Foil creation + draw on it (fish/bird).
56. Make a wind chime (sticks and bells and ribbons).
57. Have a water balloon fight.
58. Go on a walk and collect ‘treasures’ from nature.
59. Lay in the grass and find creatures in the clouds.
60. Make a bird feeder.
61. Set up an outdoor scavenger hunt and take your kids on it.
62. Bake together.
63. Have a tea party.
64. Build a fort in the living room.
65. Color or draw together.
66. Make dinner together.
67. Have a picnic in the kitchen, living room, or backyard.
68. Use socks to make puppets.
69. Have a puppet show.
70. Play hide and seek.
71. Have a dance party.
72. Play the ‘I’m thinking of game’.
73. Start a band.
74. Gaze at the stars.
75. Go to the library & read books there.
76. Go to the park & play together.
77. Play chase games.
78. Have a tickle party.
79. Play board games.
80. Talk using silly voices (“mommy monster” voice).
81. Sing karaoke.
82. Throw or kick the ball back and forth.
83. Make themed snacks.
84. Piggyback rides or horse rides.
85. Paint the bathtub with shaving cream paint.
86. Create an airplane with kitchen chairs and “travel” anywhere.
87. Ride bikes together.
88. Create a secret handshake.
89. Go on a special date.
90. Make decorations for the next holiday.
91. Bake cookies and take to a friend or neighbor.
92. Create obstacle courses for you and your child.
93. Take turns creating a story.
94. Cuddle.
95. Tell stories of your childhood.
96. Tell stories of when your child was younger.
97. Play with pets.
98. Create a secret alphabet or talk in code.
99. Door bell ditch neighbors with sweet treats or homemade cards.
100. Let your child just talk to you about whatever they want.

Print the list, cut apart each piece and place in a jar. Every day or on days that you need a little extra inspiration, grab a slip and start reconnecting with your little one!

Like these ideas? Check out our large collection of free printables and coloring pages.