Evening activities for kids are a great way to wind down after dinner and spend time together as a family. You will love these fun calm down activities for before bed, and your kids will love the quality time you can spend together
Lockdown and months of family time have encouraged all of us to try new traditions and find new ways to unwind. With the kids (Finally!!) heading back to school, you might be looking for more ways to unwind with the busy days approaching.
If you’re dealing with restless kiddos or trying to find some calm, fmaily bonding time at night, we’ve got you covered!
(Pssst – you may also like these calm down songs for kids!)
Evening Activites for Kids to Try as a Family
While it might be tempting to turn on the TV and veg out before the bedtime routine starts, it can sometimes cause negative issues and impact kiddos sleep.
(note: if night time TV time works for your family, go for it! But if you’re looking for alternatives, keep reading.)
Here are some of our favorite after dinner family activities.
Family Color Time
I’m not sure how we started this routine, but a few nights a week my boys ask if we can do “family color”. After dinner, we encourage the kids to clean up and get in jammies, then we grab our “special” coloring books and sit at the kitchen table.
We chat while we color, listen to music, and talk about our day. it’s a great way to relax and hang out together!
Some of our favorite coloring books:
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
We each have a special coloring book we chose and use for family color.
- Disney Coloring Book for Grown-Ups – This one is mine and super beautiful (and affordable!)
- Crayola Sloth and Llamas Coloring Book
- Princess Coloring Book for Kids
- Hot Wheels Coloring Book
- Mandalas Coloring Books for Adults
Family Dance Party
It’s no surprise by now that I love a good dance party. Not only is it fun and a great way to relieve some stress, but it’s also great for excess energy in kiddos.
Here are some of my favorite kid-friendly playlists to shake it to:
- Dance Songs for Kids
- 100+ Kid Friendly Songs
- Hip Hop Songs for Kids
- Country Songs for Kids
- Funny Songs for Kids
- Happy Songs for Kids
- Girl Power Songs
And my favorite speaker for dance parties.
We’ve had this speaker for over 3 years and it’s still going strong.
Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker with 12W Stereo Sound
Puzzles and LEGO
My boys adore LEGO kits and always beg to do them with us. Sometimes as an evening activity for kids, we sit together and do a kit or two. We also do the same with puzzles.
Some of our favorite LEGO kits to do as a family
- Large Assorted Brick Box
- Belle’s LEGO Castle
- Star Wars Baby Yoda Kit
- Frozen Jewelry Box
- Speed Champions Ferrari
- DUPLO Number Train Set
Family Game Night
If your kids are old enough to sit through a board game or two, this is a great option. We have a few little kid friendly games we love to play.
- Jenga
- Let’s Go Fishing
- Connect 4
- Baby Dino Rescue – We LOVE this teamwork themed game littles can easily play
- Candy Land
- Guess Who
Go for a walk
If it’s warmer out, get everyone outside for some fresh air! In the summer we strapped the baby in the carrier, got the leash on the dog, and went for family walks in our neighborhood.
We talk about the day, let the kids pick our path, and tire out the boys all at once. It truly is a win-win-win.
Changing the scenery is also a fun idea. Try heading to a local park!
Read together!
It’s the obvious answer, but often overlooked! Have your kids each pick out a book to read together and have fun making voices for the characters. If your kids are older, try chapter books and read a few pages a night.
Got a crazy toddler? Here are my favorite tips for reading to toddlers!
We love these books
Truck books for Kids
Dinosaur Books for Preschoolers
Space Books for Kids
What does your family like doing as fun evening activity for kids to wind down?
Also Read: Mother’s Day at Home Ideas
Leave a Reply