About

(Swap this paragraph for a real photo of you and the kids once you've got one picked out, casual, not staged.)

Hey, I'm Jeremy.

Most days I get home from work, walk through the door, and before I even get my shoes off I hear it: "Daddy, play with me."

And most days, my brain is spent. Since my kids were born, I've worked in demanding career paths. Right now my days consist of a lot of driving, a lot of talking to people, and by the time I'm home, "let's play hide-and-seek for the thousandth time" is the last thing I want to do. Which isn't good enough, because my kids want me, present, actually engaged and playing, not just physically in the room.

I've got three kids, a ten-year-old, a seven-year-old, and a newborn, so I'm covering a pretty wide range of "what do we even do right now." And I noticed something: I was already doing half the work. While I'm out during the day, I'm constantly keeping my eyes open for game or activity ideas that might be good to bring home. There's always this quest beyond my own living room.

Recess After Work is me trying to fix my own problem out loud. It's two things: real play ideas sorted by how much time and energy you actually have left after work (not some Pinterest-perfect craft that needs an hour of prep), and honest picks on games, toys, and gear: the stuff I've actually tried with my own kids, what worked, what didn't, and whether it's worth your money.

If you're a dad who works hard, comes home running on empty, and still wants to be the guy who says "yes" when he hears "play with me." This is for you. I'm figuring it out right alongside you.

Jeremy