The tolling of the school bell marks not just the passage of time but also the opportunity for a great afternoon or evening. After school hours don't have to be spent just on homework and TV. Make memories instead. Meet the challenges and opportunities of the academic year with gusto by spending some time enjoying one another after the school day ends. Here are ten to try after that last bell of the day rings:
1. Get active. It seems the pools and local lakes are deserted after school starts in the fall. Make swimming a regular part of your week. If your kids aren't involved in sports teams, or even if they are, investigate ways that your family can exercise together. Bike rides, hikes, or joining the YMCA can be great ways to get fit and spend time as a family. (YMCA-KC.org) The KCMO Parks & Rec department oversees a dozen small lakes that are great for an evening of fun. One of our favorites is Longview Lake. (KCMO.org/parks)
2. Prepare and enjoy dinner together. Choose one night in your weekly schedule to enjoy supper together. Let your children help you choose the menu, shop and prepare the meal. Teach the kids the proper way to set the table, how to serve a nice meal and how to eat politely. Consult the book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals: How Eating Together Makes Us Smarter, Stronger, Healthier, and Happier by Miriam Weinstein for the benefits to be gained from such an endeavor.
3. Get everyone on board. Reorganize your game cupboard and find the long-lost board games you forgot you owned. Or check out some new ones. Blokus, Mancala, and Rush Hour are great ones to exercise problem solving, logic and thinking skills. If physical games are more your style, a good ole' fashioned game of Twister will certainly make your kids laugh when they see Mom or Dad trying to get in funky positions. Take a stroll through the games at your local store and see what strikes your fancy.
4. Catch a show. Research the bargain theatres in your area. Usually there is a cinema that runs films a few months past their release. You may be the last one to see it, but the movie experience is still fun. Expand your family's horizons and take in a play, ballet or concert.
5. Spend the afternoon at the Museum. Art, science, history, children's imagination - all can be explored at a museum. Research what's available within an hour's drive of Kansas City and discover new places and things. Many museums offer reduced rates certain days of the month so call ahead or check their website.
6. Park it. While the fair weather holds, enjoy a simple afternoon at the park. Swing on the monkey bars; fly a kite; skip rocks in the lake; be a kid with your kids.
7. Explore the outdoors. Check out the local nature center, arboretum or botanical gardens. As the seasons change there will be great beauty to observe.
8. Talk with the animals. Zoos and petting farms such as Deanna Rose Farmstead are great places to visit after school. Consult the zoo website (KansasCityZoo.org) for crafts, activity pages and fun information about the critters you'll see. Our two local Bass Pro Shops have impressive aquarium tanks for the fish enthusiasts. (BassPro.com)
9. Check out some great books. Don't leave library visits just for summer time. Make visiting the library a regular stop in your week. Many branches offer homework help as well as family activity nights, featuring games such as chess. Ask the children or young adult librarian for their lists of recommended books. Consider reading the same book as your child and discuss it as you go along. (MCPL.lib.mo.us & JoCoLibrary.org)
10. Serve someone in need. What better family activity than to help others? Chances are you don't need to look farther than your own block to find someone to care for: the elderly, new moms, families with loved ones serving overseas. Does your church or synagogue have a ministry to benefit the community? See if you can participate. Contact the local Meals on Wheels to see if your family can sign up to make deliveries. Homeless shelters, food pantries, soup kitchens, children's hospitals and nursing homes are also great places to volunteer your time and resources. Think about the things your family likes to do and you're sure to find a way to serve.
Jessica Fisher is a wife and mom to five, almost six children who makes her home in Olathe.