The Importance of Enrolling Your Child in Extracurricular Activities

Childhood is an opportunity for discovery. In early years, children explore the world through sight, touch, and sounds and as their social skills develop, they begin to immerse themselves in their surroundings. When your child advances into academic life, it provides a great opportunity to solidify schedules and nourish habits that can extend well into adulthood. One of the best ways to do this is to supplement homework and study time with a variety of extracurricular activities. Doing so allows children to pursue several different interests outside of the standard curriculum, giving them a chance to find their passion. Here is more information on the importance of enrolling your child in extracurricular activities. 

What are Extracurricular Activities?

School is essential for children to develop socially, intellectually, and even emotionally. It gives your children structure, builds their knowledge base, and allows them to interact with other students on their own. However, standard curriculums are generally tailored toward STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math. While this is important, STEM doesn’t place a high focus on arts, physical activity, team building, and creativity. Extracurricular activities allow for your child to be involved in activities that they’re interested in, that are age appropriate, and that are filled with other like-minded individuals. They’re anything that’s done outside of normal school hours, whether it’s in a club, sports team, band, or even additional classes. Extracurricular activities allow your child to explore their interests and find what they love outside of the classroom. While they’re most commonly performed outside of school hours, some learning centers offer opportunities for extracurriculars in place of other classes. 

5 Reasons Why You Should Enroll Your Child in Extracurricular Activities

Since extracurricular activities occur outside of school hours, parents may hesitate to enroll their children in new or additional commitments. However, doing so is important to their development and can help your child grow into a happy, healthy, and productive adult. Some of the biggest benefits of children participating in extracurricular activities include the following: 

1. They build routine
2. They improve socializing skills
3. They give children a break from academic work
4. They help tailor unique skills
5. New activities create a more well-rounded individual

There are several benefits of children participating in extracurricular activities. Regardless of your time commitments, try to find something that your child loves so they can reap these benefits and create a long-term passion that can grow and transform their world. 

How to Find the Best Extracurricular Activities for Your Child

Every child has different interests, and they often change with age. To find the best extracurricular activity for your child, consider their personality. Help them constructively build themselves into the direction they already seem to be heading instead of what you want them to be. This helps avoid conflicts of interest between a parent and a child and increases the likelihood that your child will make a long-term commitment to an activity. Some common extracurricular activities that your child can choose from include: 

• Sports
• Volunteer Work
• Student Council 
• Journalism
• Culture-Based Clubs
• Painting or Sketching
• Pottery or Sculpture
• Drama 
• Dance
• Girl / Boy Scouts
• Acting 
• Foreign Language
• Book Club
• Science Classes
• Martial Arts
• Cooking Classes
• Chess Club

Every child is different, so there’s not a specific time or age that you should enroll your child in extracurricular activities. Instead, wait until they’re ready and slowly begin to integrate activities. They should be able to perform a few basic self-care tasks prior to engaging in something they need to do on their own and there are plenty of options for community or school involvement. If you want to get your child started in extracurricular activities early, there are several additional options that can be done with parental supervision or involvement. 

As a parent, our goal is to make sure that our children grow up happy, healthy, and filled with unconditional love and support. One of the best ways to do this is to make sure your child is getting everything they need starting from an early age. A Child’s Place at The Ranches offers parents and preschool children the opportunity to be immersed in comprehensive curriculums that combine STEM with the benefits of extracurricular involvement. To learn more, or to inquire about enrollment options, contact us today at 480-907-7590.