Tips for after school hyperness

Help them write down some animal names like cat, dog, unicorn and mouse on pieces of paper. Then ball them up and pick them out one at a time. Can you work out what animal they’re acting out for you?

Get your child to think up an amazing dinner their toys might like - and then get them to write everything down in a shopping list. They could think about how many potatoes they'd need to buy? What's for dessert?

Try a shapes mission! Draw some shapes on a piece of paper and ask if your child can spot them round the house. Start with a circle, then a square, then a triangle. How many can they find?

If everyone’s getting hyper, this tip is a good way to burn off some of that excess energy. Put some music on, dance around, and get your kids to count out different actions with you - like 10 hops or 16 jumps - in time to the music.

Get some post-it notes and label items from around the house like their favourite toys with prices up to 50p. Items can be multiples of 5, 10 or 1p depending on how confident your child is at maths. Pay them with real money or “post it money” (e.g. £2), and get your little “shop keeper” to give you accurate change. Swap and repeat!

Channel some of that energy by getting them to give you a hand in the kitchen. Get them to pick a recipe and give it a go together. Something simple like pancakes or scrambled eggs are perfect. 

Calm them down by asking if they can read to you in funny voices. It's a good way to get their spelling homework out of the way too!

Want to calm their wild side after school? Try a jungle adventure by writing a list of what they'd need for a trip is a fun way to keep them busy. It’s also a good way to unstick them from their devices!

Ask your child to help you plan your next get together with family and friends - or have fun thinking up a pretend party! Write out a list of who to invite, what you might have to eat, what games you might play - and then make your own invitations.

If you need them to do something after school, why not try “ready steady go”? Use a stopwatch or a clock with a second hand to help your child figure out how long it takes to do everyday things - like tidying up toys, getting ready in the morning, or helping you sort out the recycling.

You’ll probably find they’ll start trying to “beat” their record- good news for getting the chores done!

Writing a list of everything they’d need for a trip to space is a fun way to keep them happy.

Getting them to make a poster of their favourite film or book is a fun way to keep them busy.

When your child receives a gift or a treat, you could encourage them to send a 'thank you' drawing. To get them started, you could talk about the person they're doing the drawing for, and what that person might like a drawing of. Do they like dogs? Is the dog a happy or a sad dog? What's the dog's name? Who is the dog’s best friend? 

If your child's tooth falls out, you could help them write a message or draw a picture for 'The Tooth Fairy', then put it under their pillow with the tooth. You could even write a message or draw a picture back to them (from 'The Tooth Fairy'). Just imagine their wee face when they find it and read it back to you.

You could pick any letter or leaflet that comes through the door, Then, point out words and sound them out together. To help keep your child interested, while you’re reading the letter you could talk to them about what it means or even how they’d make it better.

Once you’ve read through a letter or email with your child, you could talk about what it means, then help them write a response. You can have fun reading it over together.

Write a letter to someone who lives far away -or even near to you, everyone loves a letter! It doesn’t need to be long - you could even stick to just three sentences - like this: 'Hello Aunty Laura. How are you? I'm doing fine. I made a spaceship out of milk bottles yesterday. Love from Harry.' Your child could then help you send it by social media, email or even go “old school” by post!

Measuring their height and comparing it to different animals is a fun way to keep them busy.