this post may contain affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through links in this post.

These 7 after school routine for kids tips will finally help you streamline your afternoons!

Hi friends,

School mornings are busy but school afternoons? Next level!

Between hyped up kids, dinner, homework, etc. Things can definitely get a little crazy if you’re not well prepared!

Luckily, I feel like I’ve managed to muster up a pretty solid after school routine with my kids! Here are my top 7 tips to help you do the same!

This post is all about creating the perfect after school routine for kids!

After School Routine For Kids

1. Have an organized drop off area

This one is a game changer!

Having a clear and organized space for everyone to drop their stuff off is a must.

There is nothing worse than having your kids come home and the house looking like a tornado ran through it within 5 seconds of them stepping through the door.

We live in a modest house and unfortunately don’t have a mud room. If you’re in the same boat, don’t stress it!

This year I was determined to find a way to create my own “mudroom” and I totally crushed it!

My backpack station is now one of my favorite and most functional areas of my home!

The best part?

This entire thing took less than 30 minutes to set up and didn’t cost me an arm and a leg!

{Related Post: Easy DIY Backpack Storage and Organization}

2. Invest in a family command center

A family command center or at least a family calendar are another must!

This allows the entire family to know what’s going at all times and keeps all of your everyday essentials in one place.

You could totally combine your drop off backpack station into your family command center. Add a calendar, some bins for papers, a few other essentials and you’re good to go.

We have an entire post about small space family command centers that don’t take up a bunch of room. It also goes over different items you should consider adding!

We have this acrylic calendar and love it! We were able to customize the bottom three sections too!

Acrylic Calednar

Having at least a calendar will help everyone know if there’s anything special going on that night. Plus, you can add a section for weekly meals, reminders, to-do lists, etc.

3. Keep quick or pre-made snacks on hand

I know my kids aren’t the only ones who come home and immediately start looking for a snack!

Kids always seem to be starving when they come home from school. Instead of having them rummage all around the pantry and fridge, have ready to go snacks already on hand!

Consider keeping a small area in the pantry or fridge just for snacks!

Looking for some snacks you can make ahead of time?

Check out this post with 15 easy snack ideas you can meal prep in advance for the entire week!

4. Get them outside

This is by far my go-to tip lol

Send those kids outside for a little bit! Let them get out any left over energy they have from sitting in a desk all day and eat their snack.

This also gives you time to collect yourself and get a couple things done without being bothered.

Take this time to check backpack folders for any important papers, empty their lunch boxes, etc.

Personally, I send them outside for about 30 minutes. Not too long but still enough time for them to eat their snack, run around a bit and for me to think clearly for a moment.

5. Have a homework station

Have you ever heard of a homework station?

If not, it’s literally just as it sounds. A dedicated spot in your home for your little ones to hunker down and focus on their homework!

A homework station has tons of different benefits but when it comes to an after school routine for kids, it can really help streamline everything.

Once the kids are ready to get started on homework for the night, they know exactly where to go and have everything they need to complete their homework all in one place. No complaining about not having space, no running around gathering supplies, etc.

If you’re interested in creating your own simple homework station in your home, check out this post for tons of inspiration.

6. Streamline your multitaskings

As parents, I know you all have multitasking down to a science!

In our house, this looks like my daughter doing her 15 minutes of reading out loud while I cook dinner so that I can hear her and help out.

It can also be something like getting started on packing their lunches while you make dinner as well. If I’m making a side salad to go with dinner, I might also make that salad part of their lunch for the next day.

Looking for ways to combine tasks is always a smart move!

7. Have your kids use a routine chart

Lastly, never underestimate the power of a checklist chart!

I’m a HUGE fan of checklists and charts for just about everyone.

Something about being able to check off a task keeps so many people (young and old) focused and motivated.

We have a free editable after school checklist printable that you can customize and print out for your little one to use! It’s super easy and will be a total game changer!

This printable will open up in Canva (a free editing tool) and you will have total freedom to edit this checklist to what fits your family! No worries, Canva is extremely user friendly and easy to use! From there, you can print it out, laminate it and add it to a clipboard for easy easy hanging!

I personally recommend placing this in a high traffic area rather than tucked away in their bedroom. Of course, either way works but I’ve noticed having checklist in a more central location helps!