In our house, it’s all fun and games until 4:30 rolls around. It’s like my boys have an internal clock that tells them to start fighting with each other and whining non stop. Basically, they turn into little terrors that make me question why I wanted kids so badly in the first place (I’m kidding. Kind of.). After talking to some mom friends who were desperate for play dates in the later afternoon and early evening, I now realize that I am not the only parent who despises that witching hour that occurs from 4:#0-6:30 p.m. every day. But in addition to our griping, my mom squad and I have also teamed up to collaborate and create this guide for how parents can survive the witching hour.
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Make them sweat. That’s right, get them moving as much as you can to get them to sweat their grumpies out. If it is warm out, send them outside to the backyard to play soccer or baseball, go on a family bike ride, or get everyone involved in the yard work.
Have a park play date. What’s so awesome about a park play date? You are on neutral ground, there’s no prep work, and everything is always more fun with a friend…am I right? If you are getting sick of heading to the same park, then put a fun spin on the traditional equipment. Create obstacle courses, races, games, etc. such as competing to find out who can race down the slide the fastest and who has the best style when completing the monkey bars. You can also go on a park crawl.
Go on a scavenger hunt. The reason why I love this activity so much is because it requires zero prep work and you can do it outside or inside. First off, decide what kind of scavenger hunt to go on…colors, letters, rhyming words, etc. It is especially fun to collect things from your hunt and turn them into an artistic collage once you get back home, especially if you go on a nature scavenger hunt.
Have a happy hour. I’m not gonna lie, I LOVE happy hour. It’s a time to reflect on the day and take a pause before the rush of dinner and bedtime. Now I’m not saying that your happy hour needs booze, but if you have had a long day, I would never judge (been there, done that, my friends). My boys and I love to put out a big spread of snacks on a platter and enjoy a drink in a fun and fancy glass. Cut up veggies with Italian dressing is a favorite, as is cubed fruit and cheese with an array of crackers. Lemonade gets even more exciting when herbed ice cubes are added.
Put on some music and unplug! I’m not sure what it is about Coldplay, but just the sound of Chris Martin’s voice will chill my kids out, even when they are in the midst of a tantrum. I have found that putting together a relaxed music list is great to have on hand during the witching hour. I play it while the kids and I zoom cars, build with blocks, put together puzzles, etc. Other great artists to play include Jack Johnson, Bob Marley, Diana Krall, and Norah Jones.
Get messy. I know, I know…cleaning up after your kids is so incredibly time consuming and just plain annoying. And since I am a Virgo, I feel like I am ALWAYS cleaning up after my kids…and my husband…and the dog. Ugh. But sometimes the fact that you are encouraging your kids to get messy is a happy shock. Need some fun sensory play ideas? Here is one of my most popular play posts…and don’t forget about water beads, either! Then you can have a long, relaxing bath time before dinner. I recommend adding some glow sticks or bath colors if you want to skip the messy play and instead go straight into bath time.
Appoint a sous chef. Even the littlest hands can be helpful, whether they are using a salad spinner or chopping veggies. If you are a bit type A and don’t want them getting into the food, you can always provide them with their own “food” for creative play. Too tired to cook an extravagant meal? That’s basically the story of my life, so here are a ton of no fail, easy prep meals to please the entire family.
Create. One of the reasons why so many people experiment with art is because it is such a relaxing form of therapy. So plan ahead and create a bin/area in your house filled with artistic goodies for open ended, creative play. But what’s even more important is that you put down your phone, ignore the piles of laundry and create alongside them. You may not be as talented as Picasso, but then again, didn’t he cut his ear off?
These are great suggestions. I remember always helping Mom so I was rarely grumpy. We did everything from work in the garden to doing dishes. I think it is good for kids to help out around the house.
That’s the perfect way to reduce mom’s “to do” list and get the kids busy so the time passes faster!
My sister-in-law is struggling with this right now. She is trying so many different things so that witching hour doesn’t come. Right now he is fighting naps so he screams a good portion of the afternoon. I’m going to show her this post because I think she could use some more tips.
Ugh, that sounds horrible. I have found that fresh air always helps both of us!
They are boys and my daughter does all of these things. Going out side is the biggest one. Let them run all that energy off.
Exactly! That’s why I dread winter every year!
These sound like some awesome ideas to keep little minds occupied and work off some of that endless energy they seem to be blessed with.
Most definitely endless energy. I wish I had some of that!
I can remember struggling with this years ago when my girls were young. Being the parent is hard, it is sure not for the weak.
It’s just the worst time of day…you are so exhausted but your kids are still going strong!
These are really great ideas! I’ve been looking for more things to do with my step kids now that we’re getting them more often, and this is helpful!
Glad to help!
These are great ideas. I remember the witching hour. Heck, my daughter is 10 and sometimes she still gets feisty around that time. We do love to dance!
Maybe everyone is feisty that time of day???
I was hoping that my kids would grow out of the witching hour, but they haven’t. It seems the older they have gotten, the longer the witching hour has become. Now it’s pretty much from the time they get out of school until bedtime. I’m just glad the spend the majority of that time outside.
Ugh, you are scaring me with things I have to look forward to once my boys are older.
Running ’em ragged, then a nice, warm bath usually does the tricks for my kids. Most of the time it’s me who tires out before the kids though. Funny how that works.
Same here!
I’ll definitely keep this in mind if I ever have kids! For the meantime, I’m passing this on to my friend who has 3 girls!
I’m sure she will thank you for it! 😉
These are great ideas for surviving the witching hour. Letting kids help with dinner always made mine happy.
And don’t forget about the added bonus that when kids help cook, they are more likely to eat the meal that is prepared!
These are all great ideas. I used to love setting up a scavenger hunt for my Son to go on. I will have to do one again this weekend.
What a fun idea…I typically just let my kids guide me on our hunts…I’m too tired/overwhelmed to plan anything beforehand.
These are very handy tips. I will have to pass them along to my friend with a three year old.
Those threenagers can be rough!
Great ideas for keeping little ones busy. I remember when my kids were younger and they went through this. Thanks for sharing, it always helps to have survival tips!
Hope that this post provides some stress relief for some busy parents out there!
We have all been there during the witching hour! Everyone is tired and worn out from the day. I love your ideas to make it a little easier. As kids get older it does become a much easier time of day to deal with.
Thanks for giving me hope for the future! 😉
I don’t recall experiencing this with either of my boys when they were young. I do know that we have all dealt with the urge to snack at that time though.
Really? I’m shocked! So many people tell me how much they struggle with late afternoon/early evening times before bed.