After-school routine for kids
An after-school routine gives the hours between school and dinner a shape, so homework, reading and play all fit in without a daily negotiation. A simple one has six steps: unpack your bag, wash your hands, have a snack, do your homework, read a book and play outside.
It suits primary school kids, roughly 5 to 10, and it works best when it starts the moment they walk in the door.
What should an after-school routine include?
After School
- Unpack Your BagLunchbox to the kitchen, notes to a grown-up, before anything gets squashed or forgotten.
- Wash Hands
- Have a SnackMost kids come home hungry, and a snack first makes homework easier to start.
- Do Your HomeworkWhile the school day is still fresh, and before screens come out.
- Read a Book
- Play OutsideLast, so there's something to look forward to.
This is the After School routine that comes with Little Streaks. You can use it as it is or change any step.
Why put homework before play?
It's a family choice, and some kids need to run around first. Putting homework before play has one big advantage: play becomes the finish line, so there's a reason to get the work done rather than drag it out. If your child does better with a break first, move Play Outside up and keep the rest in order.
How do you adapt it?
- No homework yet: For younger kids, swap Do Your Homework for something else that suits them, like a puzzle or drawing.
- Lots of homework: Give homework its own routine. Little Streaks has a ready-made Homework routine that breaks it into smaller steps.
- Busy afternoons: On days with sport or swimming, use a different routine for that day, such as Sport Day or Get Ready for Swimming, instead of squeezing everything into one list.
- Rainy days: Swap Play Outside for an indoor activity. The Screen-Free Time routine has a few ideas.
What helps it stick?
- Start at the door. Unpacking the bag straight away makes the rest of the routine follow on.
- Keep the order the same. Once the order is familiar, your child knows what's next without asking.
- Let them tick it off. Ticking a step off themselves is part of the reward.
What should kids do when they get home from school?
Unpack their bag, wash their hands and have a snack, then homework, a book and time outside. Starting with the bag means lunchboxes and notes from school don't get forgotten.
Should homework come before play?
It's a family choice. Homework before play gives your child something to look forward to at the end, but some kids need to run around first. Keep whichever order works for your child the same each day.
What age is an after-school routine for?
Primary school kids, roughly 5 to 10. For younger children without homework, swap that step for something that suits them.
How does it work in Little Streaks?
In Little Streaks, After School has its own moving scene (sweets and confetti, by default) and every task has an icon. Your child holds a task to tick it off and gets a celebration for each one, with a big finale at the end.
Each finished routine earns a star, and stars add up to rewards you choose and approve.
Little Streaks is a routines and rewards app for kids, for iPhone and iPad. Free to start, with up to two routines.
