You’ve raced through crowded stores with school supply lists in hand, struggled to find decent jeans that fit, and bargained with your kids in the athletic shoe aisle — you’re finally ready for school to resume.
Or are you? Have you given any thought to which extracurricular activities your offspring should be involved in this year? These are the sports , music lessons, and clubs they enjoy outside of school, which combine with academic classes to create happy, well-rounded kids. The key is to choose the right ones based on your kids’ interests and talents.
What types of extracurricular activities are available, and what can your kids gain from participating in them?
Sports/Athletics
Kids learn commitment, teamwork, and strategy in addition to gaining physical health and strength when they play sports. Both team sports like football and volleyball and individual sports like tennis and golf can provide great benefits. But be sure to talk to your kids about what they would like to do, and keep in mind that forcing them into a sport they don’t enjoy will have the opposite effect.
Music Lessons
The American Psychological Association makes the best argument for signing the kiddos up: “Organized music lessons appear to benefit children’s IQ and academic performance — and the longer the instruction continues, the larger the effect.” Again, let your child choose the instrument he’s most interested in — it’ll be a lot easier to get him to practice. Bonus: Music is also a great stress reliever and can be very cathartic for energetic kids.
Philanthropic Clubs
During their years in Daisy and Brownie Scouts, my girls did more than play games and make crafts. They visited residents in care homes for the elderly, supported our war heroes at Veterans Day events, and gathered food for the needy during the holidays. Don’t want to join a club? Choose a non-profit or charity that means something to your child, and volunteer your time together.
Academic Clubs
Some kids just plain love school and are hungry for more. These are the bright stars for whom debate teams, science clubs, and second-language groups are formed. This is a great way to supplement your child’s education, either by reinforcing classes she’s taking or filling in gaps in her curriculum.
Special Interest Clubs
I grew up in 4H (horses), and so did my husband ( cooking ). If there’s an animal, hobby, or activity that sparks your kid’s interest, hook her up with other kids who share her passion. You can mix this with the philanthropy mentioned above — this year, my daughters and I plan to volunteer at Equine Outreach, a local non-profit, where we can help take care of the horses they take in (and possibly find one to adopt ourselves).
The Arts
See a natural artistic talent in your kid? Go ahead and push him in that direction! Or expose him to something new and see what he can do. I took dance when I was very young and loved it, but I stopped to explore other things, including running track. My weak ankles prompted my doctor to recommend ballet classes, and I found myself back in the dance studio. This attempt to strengthen my ankles for the 220-yard dash turned into a lifelong passion — these days, I teach jazz, tap, and hip-hop dance to kids.
Think about it: Our extracurricular activities define us much more than our general education. At my high school reunion, I was still known as the journalism and dance team girl (as well as the resident metalhead). My husband isn’t remembered for his math grades — he’s a wrestler and musician.
Need another reason to sign your kids up? Colleges don’t offer scholarships and grants based on GPA or athletic achievement alone. They want to see that potential students are willing to do more than what’s mandatory and that they’ll strive for success in more than one area. Don’t you want that for your kids? I know I do.
Reference:
- voices.yahoo.com/raising-adventurous-eaters-11623938.html?cat=25
- voices.yahoo.com/is-kid-mountain-bike-ready-11673464.html?cat=25
- voices.yahoo.com/can-save-kids-future-mid-life-crisis-11632282.html?cat=25
