After school time is prime time for kids

#Middlebury

After-school time is prime time for school-age kids. Like that commute when adults switch gears from the end of their workday to home life, it’s a transition period in a busy day. Even if it’s just a 30-minute break between getting off the school bus and leaving for a piano lesson, kids can recharge with a healthy snack (they are notoriously famished) and an impromptu game or two.

Many of the day’s special learning opportunities happen in relaxed after-school downtime. “Parents, grandparents and caregivers are important teachers,” said retired nurse Rachel Olson, who spends several afternoons a week with granddaughter Kassidy Palmberg, 8, and her 7-year-old brother Kaleb.

Kaleb and Kassidy Palmberg enjoy giant smoothie pops their grandmother made for them.

“We have so much fun together!” added Kassidy, as she licked a giant smoothie pop Rachel prepared that morning in a blender with fresh fruit, yogurt, ice and coconut milk. (She pours them into plastic drinking glasses, inserts spoons for handles and freezes them. When the kids arrive, they remove them from the cup and enjoy licking them on a hot afternoon. As a smoothie pop begins to melt, the kids can insert it back in the cup, smoosh it around and eat the remaining slushy goodness with the spoon.)

Here are more downtime ideas:

Snacks: Have a variety of healthy choices on hand, such as popcorn, nuts or pretzel sticks for edible kabob skewers. Kids can poke bite-size chunks of cheese and fresh fruit onto each stick.

Talk Time: Chat about their day as well as your own. Relaxed, shared time with caring adults is important for building trust and reinforcing values.

Exercise: There’s really no excuse not to exercise at home with a few quick playground games. Play catch or hide-and-seek. Making fitness a daily priority not only improves health, it also helps build happy relationships.

Donna Erickson’s award-winning series “Donna’s Day” is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the NEW Donna’s Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is “Donna Erickson’s Fabulous Funstuff for Families.”

(c) 2018 Donna Erickson
Distributed by King Features Synd.