After-School Tips for Happy Kids

This post is written by me on behalf of General Mills. All opinions are entirely my own. This shop has been compensated by Acorn Influence, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Now that both of my kids go to school most days of the week, I have developed an after-school routine that really works well for our family. From nutritious snacks like Yoplait to creative activities, I will be sharing how we generally spend our afternoon in a productive, well-balanced way.

After-School Tips for Happy Kids

1. Offer wholesome snacks.
There’s something about coming home from school that really revs up my kids’ appetites. However, I’m always looking for better-for-us snacks that are packed with wholesome nutrients. That’s why Yoplait yogurt is always on hand in my home!

To make sure I get a great everyday value on our Yoplait yogurt, I like to head to Walmart to pick up the Yoplait Fridge Pack in the Original Strawberry Mixed Berry flavor. I’m at Walmart at least once per week anyway to pick up various household essentials, so I always try to grab a Yoplait Fridge Pack while there.

Yoplait yogurt is a quick and easy snack solution that our whole family loves. Not only is the creamy taste of the yogurt absolutely delicious, but with 20% of the daily recommended calcium, it’s a snack I can feel good about feeding my family.

The goodness of dairy makes this snack a hit around here. I also love to enjoy one of these yogurts myself every day.

With 6 grams of protein and only 150 calories per serving, it’s a snack that fits into my lifestyle perfectly.

My daughter absolutely loves having some Yoplait yogurt when she comes home from school. It’s actually one of her favorite snacks of all time – and that is perfectly fine with me!

2. Encourage creativity.
After the kids have filled their bellies with a nutritious snack, we usually like to get creative together. We might whip out one of our favorite coloring books or we might do a paper plate craft with glitter. By doing a creative activity together, we keep boredom at bay and encourage their imaginations to run wild. I love it when my daughters explore their artistic sides.

3. Burn excess energy.
Before we start dinner or begin our bedtime routine, I always try to let my kids burn some excess energy. If it’s too cold or rainy outside, we will put on some music in the living room and dance together. If the weather is nice outside, we will often head outdoors and just play together. We might go to the playground or go on a nature walk (we collect sticks, leaves, etc for a craft session). I always like to give my daughters an opportunity to play outdoors, as it stimulates their physical, emotional and social development.

4. Chat about the day.
Another element of our after-school time together is chatting about our days. I always love learning about how my kids did in school, but I have learned over the years that there is a right and wrong way to ask them about their days. If I ask “how was your day?”, I’ll get “fine” at best. Here are some specific questions that are more effective at stimulating an interesting conversation:

• Who did you sit next to at lunch today?
• What was the best part of your day today?
• What surprised you the most today?

Open-ended questions like these have really been successful at jump-starting a productive conversation with my kids.

Now that you know what our after-school time looks like, I’d love to hear from you. What do you do with your kids after school? Does your family also enjoy the goodness of Yoplait yogurt every day?

Ever wanted to learn Arabic online? Check out Arabic Road & learn Arabic on your own terms.

Disclosure: Engineer Mommy is a participant in the Amazon Services, LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For additional details, please see our full Disclosure Policy. Any link may be an affiliate link. All opinions are exclusively my own.