It's a well accepted fact that after-school activities do wonders for a child's development. These activities are associated with improving social skills, grades, overall coordination, sense-of-self and relationships with adults other than their parents.
After-school programs and activities also give kids a chance to be themselves. While the structured programs of school modulate a child towards right behavior, the freedom from structure during after school activities allows the individuality to shine.
“Children spend their day primarily sitting down and following a schedule at school. When they get home or attend after school activity centers, it is important for them to have time to be creative, get moving and do something they enjoy,"
Need inspiration for things to do with children?
1. Let your child attend afterschool playgroups or well known activity centers in your area that focus on activities for kids. One such, much appreciated centre is Blue Umbrella which has highly interesting educational activity programs.
2. Join an after-school reading group at the library.
3. Make some craftwork, like a gumball pencil or bottle cap locker magnets.
4. Schedule a weekly get-together with kids in the neighborhood. Have them over for crafts or games. Rotate houses each week to split up hosting responsibilities.
5. On the way home from school, ask your child to tell you the two best parts and two least favorite parts of his day. When you get to the negatives, try to help your child find a silver lining or a bright side to the bad parts of his day.
6. Join a Reading Rockets program. Blue Umbrella runs such programs.
7. Creating a reading challenge -- see if your child can read a certain amount of books within a specific time frame and award prizes for milestones.
8. Act out a book your child is reading in school.
9. Hike and explore nearby trails.
10. Explore the nearest public or botanical gardens.
11. Take a trip to a free museum.
There is solid evidence that after-school programs keep children and youth safe and protect them from negative and unsafe behaviors. After school programs also help working parents.
The benefits to young children especially from the social skills development and improved academic skills viewpoint is of course immense. This leads to improved conflict management and better school attendance. Middle-school aged youth who continue to participate in after-school activities are more likely to be engaged in school and attentive in class and less likely to be involved in bad behavior at school.
Participation in after-school activities continues to be a benefit even as they grow older. Adolescents in after-school programs are optimistic for the future and have more interest in school than peers who are unsupervised after school.
After school activity centers are a boon for children and parents.
After-school programs and activities also give kids a chance to be themselves. While the structured programs of school modulate a child towards right behavior, the freedom from structure during after school activities allows the individuality to shine.
“Children spend their day primarily sitting down and following a schedule at school. When they get home or attend after school activity centers, it is important for them to have time to be creative, get moving and do something they enjoy,"
Need inspiration for things to do with children?
1. Let your child attend afterschool playgroups or well known activity centers in your area that focus on activities for kids. One such, much appreciated centre is Blue Umbrella which has highly interesting educational activity programs.
2. Join an after-school reading group at the library.
3. Make some craftwork, like a gumball pencil or bottle cap locker magnets.
4. Schedule a weekly get-together with kids in the neighborhood. Have them over for crafts or games. Rotate houses each week to split up hosting responsibilities.
5. On the way home from school, ask your child to tell you the two best parts and two least favorite parts of his day. When you get to the negatives, try to help your child find a silver lining or a bright side to the bad parts of his day.
6. Join a Reading Rockets program. Blue Umbrella runs such programs.
7. Creating a reading challenge -- see if your child can read a certain amount of books within a specific time frame and award prizes for milestones.
8. Act out a book your child is reading in school.
9. Hike and explore nearby trails.
10. Explore the nearest public or botanical gardens.
11. Take a trip to a free museum.
There is solid evidence that after-school programs keep children and youth safe and protect them from negative and unsafe behaviors. After school programs also help working parents.
The benefits to young children especially from the social skills development and improved academic skills viewpoint is of course immense. This leads to improved conflict management and better school attendance. Middle-school aged youth who continue to participate in after-school activities are more likely to be engaged in school and attentive in class and less likely to be involved in bad behavior at school.
Participation in after-school activities continues to be a benefit even as they grow older. Adolescents in after-school programs are optimistic for the future and have more interest in school than peers who are unsupervised after school.
After school activity centers are a boon for children and parents.