Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

What do your reception kids do after school?

21 replies

wishIwasonholiday10 · 17/09/2026 00:36

DD has just started reception and has been tired so I’ve been pretty relaxed about TV time after school but I do feel bad that she’s just watched TV until dinner time for the last few days. Going forward what’s normal for kids this age to be doing after school? How much TV do you allow them?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
sleepandcoffee · 17/09/2026 01:02

When my child was reception age I was very easy about after achool tv time . I would always lay out something simple in the living room before he got home too like colouring , lego , magnatiles, marble run .
He would often spend a little bit of time zoning out and then move onto playing without me nagging .

Enuffnowtbh · 17/09/2026 01:06

My children just had downtime playing in local park,tea and in bed by 7pm!

ElefantAndCastle · 17/09/2026 01:06

We went to the playground. Had tea. Read books. Bed.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

MrsH497 · 17/09/2026 07:07

She has her swimming lesson once a week but the rest of the time it’s play in the park/garden, reading, colouring, playing with her sister or some TV time. Mixture really

ravenclaworslytherin · 17/09/2026 07:12

Mine is in after school club until 5.30 three days a week when we get home she plays in the garden for 20 minutes and then watches TV before bedtime. Two days a week she is walking with her siblings to their after school activities and then playing with her toys/TV watching

Totaldramallama · 17/09/2026 07:43

DD was/is never tired after school. In reception she did one or two clubs at schools they ran free/very cheap ones like a Lego club etc. she did gymnastics on Thursdays, then in year one changed to a hockey club, then a swimming lesson once a week. I always limited tv to an hour on school days but did feel the afternoons dragged so had to have some sort of activity.

whippersnapper55 · 17/09/2026 19:13

All mine were tired out after school when they started reception. I wouldn't worry too much about letting her have a bit of tv time, or cuddle up and read books or listen to an audiobook. Quiet activities like doing a puzzle, playdough, lego etc are all good afterschool activities. If the weather is nice, we would often go straight to the park after school (with a snack & drink) and kill half an hour or so before heading home. Mine had tea about 5/5.30, then a good play in the bath with bubbles and bath toys and story and bed by 7ish.

ThreeRandomThings · 17/09/2026 19:53

Our week was a bit like:
Mon - downtime, free play, TV, crafty / colouring stuff. Whatever she fancies.
Tues / Weds - after school club
Thurs - swimming lesson
Fri - downtime, free play, early tea and then rainbows.

We tried to avoid TV straight after school and instead we did 30mins after tea before story / bed etc. I found if the TV went on too early it was then a battle to turn it off again! I mostly found she just wanted to play with whatever was to hand downstairs - lego, trainset, dolls house, fancy dress. Mostly the stuff she wasnt playing with at school.

Obeseandashamed · 17/09/2026 21:04

After school club until 5 once a week, park, swimming, playing with toys at home, tv time, reading books and then dinner, bath and bed for 8pm.

Glendaruel · 17/09/2026 21:07

Normally tired. She did do swimming one night and Squirrels another.

Bringemout · 17/09/2026 21:14

Mine laughs in the face of tiredness, she did swimming and gymnastics after school everyday.

Crunchingleaf · 17/09/2026 21:21

Mine is in afterschool club and home by 5. Three days a week it’s a quick dinner and then out to sports. The other two days they usually play with their sibling or play outside. I try to keep tv to about 30 minutes a day unless they are having an off day.
This one isn’t as tired after school as my first. But first is ND so that makes sense.

NorthFacingGardener · 17/09/2026 21:23

Watch TV, have tantrum when it goes off and they’re required to come for dinner, eat dinner, run around the garden for a bit with DH, have tantrum when it’s time to come in… go to bed.

NotMyCircusButMyMonkey · 17/09/2026 22:03

Depends on how tired he is but usually a bit of play, TV, helps me cook tea, eat, bath, bit more TV, play and bed. Sometimes we’ll go for a walk/park if I’ve collected him at normal time, but not usually if he’s been in after school club. All of this intertwined with tantrums ofc. Had an epic one in Tesco this evening.

I don’t limit his TV much as he’s quite tired atm, despite doing full time nursery before this, but he has only just turned 4 in July. And he’s not too bothered by it, he’ll turn it off when he wants (demands) to play with me.

Harial · 18/09/2026 00:28

Mine are keen on extracurriculars so she does an activity or class every weekday, but doesn't do any childcare clubs. She's still full of energy after school and classes and likes to play with her sister and put on performances for us to watch. She'll have a bit of screen time on some evenings, mainly if we need to get on with other things.

Growlybear83 · 18/09/2026 02:11

My daughter just wanted to sit down on the floor and play with her Sylvanian families with me after school most days at thst age.

USaYwHatNow · 18/09/2026 02:22

Park, home for an early tea about 4pm, bed by 6!

Tiredmumlmc · 18/09/2026 09:24

Thing I found is if TV isnt an option, most kids are quite good at finding something to entertain themselves with!

Totaldramallama · 18/09/2026 09:25

Bed at 6? What time do they get up?

mindutopia · 18/09/2026 13:14

My youngest is in Y4 now, but our routine is still much the same. Most days, we come home, he watches tv or plays outside, we will at some point do various chores, like taking the dog out, feeding the chickens, sorting something in the garden. A few days a week, my older dc has to be dropped off at sports training, so he’d come with us to do that. Sometimes we might go to the park or to the shop or do some other errands. Then we’re back home and he either watches tv or he and Dh go outside while I cook dinner.

From Y1, he did one activity after school each week (from about 5/6pm), but not at reception age.

I don’t limit tv time strictly. If we’re home, he can watch tv if he wants, but I also create lots of opportunities for going outside and doing other things. He watches a bit, then turns it off and chooses to play outside or do Lego in the kitchen. It isn’t constant all afternoon.

We get home just before 4pm, dinner usually about 7-7:30pm and heading to bed about 8:30-9pm. I have an older dc who often isn’t home til 9pm from practice so we have never been early dinner and bed people.

MsSquiz · 18/09/2026 13:23

She does 3 clubs after school for 30mins at school, 1 night she has gymnastics for an hour, the other nights she just plays with her toys usually with the tv on in the background if she wants to watch it, then has tea at 5, bath at 6, usually down asleep between 7 and 7:30

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread