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After-school clubs are fun and can help children pick up important life skills, boost their confidence, or get them moving! These activities can also build positive habits that last a lifetime, like better discipline, time management, and teamwork.
You might be reading this and already have a successful after-school club up and running, or perhaps you’re just starting to plan yours. No matter where you are in the process, this article will help you focus on the best ideas for extracurricular activities.
How can Kids Club HQ help with your after school activities?
Here at Kids Club HQ, we offer a platform that takes the hassle out of running your after-school clubs – and ensures they run smoothly! We can provide you with everything from support with admin, payments and invoicing to helping to manage important information about the kids in your club. You can learn more about our features here.
What we’ll cover in this article
In this article, we’ll share some of our top picks for the best after-school club ideas for primary school-aged children! To keep things simple, we’ve divided the article into four categories:
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Alternative hobby club ideas
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Alternative physical activity club ideas
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Alternative academic club ideas
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Seasonal festivals
Alternative hobby club ideas
Developing hobbies is a key part of a child’s development, as well as helping them discover new and exciting interests. Here are some of our favourite ideas for an after school club that helps a child explore their hobbies.
Gardening Club
[Gardening] (https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-inspiration/get-gardening/wellbeing-benefits-of-gardening-for-children) is a fun and relaxing activity for children, teaching patience and a deeper connection to nature. Through a gardening club, children can learn about planting, composting, garden bugs, ecology, conservation, and wildlife, all while developing a greater appreciation for the environment.
Photography Club
Photography is a fantastic way for children to tap into their creativity. Teach them how to use a camera, think about composition, and explore different shots and ideas. Want to learn more about sparking a child’s interest in photography? Check out: 15 Valuable Lessons to Teach Photography for Kids.
For older children, how about teaching them how to edit and touch up photos using Photoshop? It’s a great way to further encourage creativity whilst also teaching key technical skills!
Crochet or Embroidery Club
Textile clubs like crochet and embroidery are a great way to spark creativity in children. Start with basics like chains or armbands, then progress to scarves or hats. Embroidery kits are affordable and let children create their own art, from badges to larger projects. Encourage boys and girls to join in!
We’d also encourage you to sprinkle in some learning about the origins of embroidery – including looking at some medieval tapestries of the Norman period!
Drama Club
A drama club is a great way to boost children’s confidence and get them interested in acting. It helps them engage with texts like Shakespeare and develop key skills like public speaking and learning lines. Performing for parents gives them a rewarding sense of achievement.
Alternative physical activity club ideas
Physical activity is important to keep children active and engaged, all whilst having fun! It encourages a healthy lifestyle and creates good habits.
Here are some of our best choices for after school club activities that are great for keeping children active.
Yoga Club
The benefits of yoga on physical and mental health of school-age children is hard to ignore. This guide is useful if you’re thinking about teaching children a combination of mindfulness and yoga.
Cheerleading Club
Although generally associated with the US, cheerleading is growing in popularity in the UK as an alternative sport, as it requires a unique combination of gymnastics, dance and stunts.
Street Dance Club
Street dancing is fun and allows children to feel part of a collective, whilst moving to music that they enjoy!
Alternative academic after school club ideas
After-school clubs are a great way for children to expand their learning and explore new interests beyond the usual school subjects! These club ideas can really help spark a love for learning, and who knows – they might continue exploring these interests later in life! Here are some of our favourite after-school club ideas for learning something new.
Film Club
A film club sparks interest in film studies and filmmaking, teaching kids to analyse stories, themes, and cinematography. It’s a fun way to dive into the technical side of movies!
Learn more about this here.
Politics and Economics Club
Children are becoming more aware of politics and economics thanks to social media, so why not teach them about it? You can introduce them to the political system, different views, and even run mock elections, while teaching economics through fun activities like market re-enactments and pricing games!
Astronomy or Space Club
Who doesn’t love space? An astronomy or space club is a brilliant after school club idea. It’s a great way to let kids explore their interest what’s beyond our world outside of their usual school curriculum.
An astronomy or space club is a fantastic way for children to explore the wonders beyond our world. Teach them about constellations, explore the night sky with interactive tools, and even use VR to visit other galaxies! You can also dive into moon exploration and the achievements of British astronauts like Tim Peake. TheSkyLive.com has a brilliant interactive planetarium to show your children.
Mix this in with learning about moon exploration and interplanetary travel. Google has partnered with NASA to create a brilliant 3D web app for exploring Mars based on images captured by the Curiosity rover! We think this would be a fun thing to explore with kids.
Public Speaking Club
Learning how to effectively carry out public speaking can be an excellent life skill to teach, not only in terms of overcoming shyness, but also in how to write an entertaining, well-researched speech.
Seasonal festivals
Our after-school club calendar often revolves around the usual festivals: Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, and Christmas. You can make each one fun with activities like poster-making, arts and crafts, and re-enactments! But it’s also fun to mix it up with less common festivals, like those from different cultures or even quirky ones like National Cat Day. Hosting one-off sessions for each festival is a great way for children to learn about different cultures and traditions. Here are some of our favourites (from months that could use a bit more love):
January
24thJanuary: Carnival
Although January is often known for being a month of gloom, diets, new gym memberships and new year resolutions here in the UK, in the volcanic island of Tenerife, it is when their month-long carnival celebrations begin. For a great after school club activity idea, why not create an arts and crafts carnival outfit with the children in club?
March
8 March: International Women’s Day
For International Women’s Day, you can theme your after school activity around great achievements by women – from great women who are authors in a book club, to creating a card for women in their lives, there are lots of exciting ways to honour International Women’s Day.
April
22 April: Earth Day
A great day to bring awareness to the kids in your club, and to theme activities around protecting the Earth.
May
28 May: Author of James Bond was born in 1907
There are few things that kids enjoy more than being a spy, so why not try out this, this or this idea for a fantastic after school club idea for primary school kids.
July
1 July: International Joke Day
Why not look up some child-approved jokes and get the kids in your after school club to tell their favourite jokes? This one is always guaranteed to be entertaining.
August
27 August: Tug of War Day
A favourite for the summer months anyway, but what a great excuse to get everyone out into the field! Learn more on this here.
September
13 September: Roald Dahl Day
Certainly one of the best-loved authors in the UK, Roald Dahl has a book for every child (and probably adult, too!). If you’re looking for activities, then the Roald Dhal website has some fun activities to try.
October
1st-31st: Black History Month:
Black History Month is all about celebrating the lives of those of African descent and learning about their achievements in promoting peace, equality and inclusion. We recommend teaching children about lesser-known figures of history such as Mary Seacole or Toussaint Louverture.
A great place to start is the poem ‘Checking out me History’ by British Guyanese poet John Agard. This poem highlights how the traditional British education system omits those important figures of African or Caribbean descent.
Take the hassle out of running an After School Club with Kids Club HQ
There are hundreds of after school club ideas to choose from, and these were just a few of our favourites. After school programs are a great way to enrich a child’s education, they get kids excited about coming into school and getting involved in new hobbies and interests.