The best after-school activities for children to keep boredom at bay before bedtime

A balance board is a great idea for after-school play - it'll engage their physical and mental senses, as the balancing takes a lot of focus. While this balance board can't be left outside, it's still a great toy to play with in the garden, or to just keep indoors. You can use it as a bridge, a mini slide, and to practise their balancing skills. It's also a great idea to sit on with their soft toys while reading a book. The Size M Balance and Motor Skills Board looks simple, but the play possibilities are endless.

M&B writer Sam said: "My six-year-old loves the balance board. He uses it to stand and rock on, as a bridge for his cars and even to sit on to play games. He sits and rocks himself, and I've noticed that it really helps him release some of his energy as he likes to move around, so for him to sit and rock it's a really great support."

The Yoto Player is a small audio player for children, that can play music, audiobooks, and podcasts. It's designed for all ages, and can be used by parents through the app for babies and toddlers, or by older kids themselves. Screen-free, it works by inserting a small card, on which data is stored, and read by the player. The cards play stories, games, and music, and you can create a night-time routine with the nightlight, and have an alarm for the morning. It can be used as a Bluetooth speaker too. You can buy a huge range of Yoto cards, and you can create your own, too. It's a fun way for children to listen to stories or music after school, without having a screen to stare at. Being portable and easy-to-operate means it's great for small children.

M&B writer Sam said: "The Yoto Player was really easy to set up, and I love that I can create a routine for my son on it, which will be really handy for when going back to school. It's easy to use the cards and it's handy to download them onto the app too. He's enjoyed sitting and listening to the stories and educational cards through the headphones when he's wanted five minutes' peace."

Read our full Yoto Player review.

The Kids Mini Top lets children tilt, spin, and rock with the help of an adult or on their own. It can have a calming and soothing effect and even helps with children's balance. It's a great outlet for them to have after school, and they can even sit in it with their teddies watching a TV show or listening to a story.

The Number BubbleBrix doubles up as a bubble popper fidget toy and a way to help children build maths skills. They can press the bricks until it pops and repeat the number. The blocks interlink too so that you can create maths equations for them to solve. It also comes with a handy storage bucket. This is a great after-school toy as the fidgeting can calm busy minds, while still developing their learning and maths skills at the same time.

A fun yet challenging way to stimulate your child's concentration, problem-solving skills, and cognitive skills, the Plug and Play Ball provides a lot of fun. With seven puzzle pieces, your child has to put the ball back together by simply plugging the pieces together. It's a great 3D challenge toy that also doubles as a fidget toy; an ideal after-school game to fiddle with and keep their brains active.

This LEGO Moana's Wayfinding Boat set will not only look great on display in your child's room once built, but it's great to play with and provides so much entertainment when building. It has 321 pieces and even comes with two mini figures and a dolphin. A LEGO kit can be an ideal after-school activity for your child, whether they're building independently or with your assistance. If you also love LEGO, then building a kit when they get home from school can be the perfect way to bond. Building and creating can engage their imagination and fine motor skills.

M&B writer Sam said: "My children love LEGO and I find it helps to keep them entertained and their mind and hands busy. This LEGO Moana was simple to build, but it provided a good hours worth of concentration which was a great way to unwind after a busy day and helped to pass time between getting home and having tea."

A sensory swing is a great way for children of any age to have sensory input after a long day at school. They can swing, twist, or lay reading in this hammock-like swing. You can have it indoors or outdoors, and it will last years as it's suitable for weights up to 900kg.

We find that our children always ask to go to the park after school, so rather than taking a walk, why not have a climbing frame in your garden? The Plum Discovery Play Centre provides hours of fun, with a pail and pulling rope for water, easy clean painting screen, climbing ladder, and slide. Having a climbing frame at home means the park is always accessible to your kids, whatever time of day, and means you can stay busy indoors while they're playing. It also means they can get more engaged with your own garden, and enjoy being outdoors. The fresh air straight after school will help calm their busy minds and release any extra energy they've built up in the classroom.

One review said: "I bought this product a month ago and me and the kids are made up with it. Really easy to follow instructions and very sturdy structure, can't get the kids off it come bedtime."

It's important to always check in with your child, and if they don't like answering too many questions about their day at school, these Tales of Me Affirmation Cards are a great way to connect with your child. The cards also encourage them to have a positive relationship with themselves, their friends, and their attitude to learning. Use them on a daily basis to help them become a part of their subconscious belief system as they navigate school life.

One review said: "Thank you so much for creating beautiful and positive cards! In the time that we are living I think it is imperative to teach our children about love, compassion, joy, happiness and hope. I think they have had a tough time the past two years and now, we as parents, need to work harder to help them to see a brighter future."

Making maths fun, the Sum Swamp board game helps children to practise their addition and subtraction skills in order to win the game. Suitable for two to four players, simply roll the dice and solve the problem to move the marker forward. Playing a board game together after school not only keeps children's minds active and focused, but will help you bond together, too. Often a child who doesn't like being asked questions straight after school will open up and talk once involved in games and play.

Designed with children in mind, thanks to the bump-proof case, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet is very easy for children to use. It offers a range of free apps and helps to prevent any potential (and often unwanted) in-app purchases without parents' permission. It also has a two-year guarantee. It's great for keeping little ones entertained after school, through education apps or watching their favourite shows.

Our mum tester, Paige, said: "I would recommend this product for a mother’s sanity. That five minutes knowing your child is safe, happy and entertained puts so much ease on a parents mind, all while you're having a break. They have some amazing learning apps and lots of entertainment for the children. The children absolutely love it."

Read our full Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet review.

Much like the Yoto player we featured above, the Tonies Box is an audio player, which comes with characters to attach to the top to choose the audio. They're easy to use and with your child's favourite character, such as the Tonies Frozen Elsa Figure, they can listen to a story when they get home from school to help reduce screen-time, and they can enjoy singing along to their favourite songs.

M&B writer Sam said: "The Tonies figure is easy to use and it plays all the favourite Disney songs from the Frozen movie. My kids love singing and dancing along, and have even enjoyed listening to the film while playing with their toys, rather than sitting and watching a screen."