9 Best After School Activities For Kids
Are you worried about keeping your young ones busy after school? Do your kids drive you crazy, telling you they’re bored and have nothing to good to do? Are you looking for ideas to make your kid’s after school time productive? Well, this post is definitely for you!
We have made a list of 9 best after-school activities for kids of all ages, that will challenge them, both physically and intellectually.
Apart from just keeping them busy, extra-curricular activities are proven to help kids build new skill sets, enhance social interaction, improve academic performance, master time management, and impress colleges! What more could a parent dream of, right?
Without further delay, let’s get on with our list.
1. Outdoor Sports
Be it in your backyard or at some club, sports is one great way to keep your kids entertained. Basketball, Volleyball, Football, Swimming, Gymnastics, you name it. There are so many other options to choose from keeping your budget and locally available facilities in mind. These activities will utilize your child’s time efficiently, and also keep them healthy and active.
2. Indoor Sports
Another way of keeping your child physically engaged, Karate, Taekwondo, and Mixed Martial Arts will teach them how to stay grounded and defend themselves in emergency situations. Again, it depends on what facilities are available in your area.
3. STEM
STEM Activities are basically a hands-on learning experience in scientific experimentation. Under controlled and supervised conditions, kids are given supplies and allowed to conduct experiments and/or solve real life simulations. You can arrange supplies after finding ideas on the Internet, and then watch your future scientists in action!
4. Book Reading
Quality reading time is essential for improving vocabulary and text comprehension in kids. Developing this habit will ease their expression of thoughts and bring them to pause and reflect on deeper meanings. While it might take effort for some kids to be attracted to this activity, parents and teacher can try to make it as appealing to them as possible. For example, go book shopping with your kids and find titles that pique their interest most. Plan book review nights, and keep prizes for the most interesting ones presented.
5. Online Tutors
Online tutoring can be pivotal in helping students develop robust concepts in a way which is significantly cost effective and efficient. E-learning will provide your children with an option to interact with their tutors in a one on one setting which ensures a better learning experience. There’s an amazing service called Lincoln Method that provides tutors for less than $10 an hour.
6. Gardening
Gardening is a great way to involve kids with nature, entrusting them with responsibility, and give them a break from all tech-based activities. Planting seeds in pots, looking after them, nourishing them, and observing them grow, engages all their senses, and introduces them to the concept of maintenance and care.
7. Graphic Designing
With Digital Marketing on the rise, learning the art and tools for graphic designing has become an essential skill for students. Applications like Canva for kids, is an easy to use platform for beginners. Giving your child tasks and projects, like designing posters, invites, and slide presentations, will keep them busy and upgrade their Designing skills over time.
8. Coding
Just like Graphic Designing, Coding courses for kids are also quite popular nowadays. With items ranging from toys to applications, kids are now learning coding at very young ages. It can enhance their skills by teaching them how to notice patterns, and structures, and introduce them to concepts like algorithms and logic. Plus, most kids are more than willing to learn because they think it’s what cool kids do– a win-win for the parents we say!
9. DIY Projects
In today’s world full of tech-savvy kids and ready to use items available at a click, ‘Do it yourself’ Projects are an effective means to help kids ground themselves with reality. With amazing hands-on learning, it inculcates qualities like problem solving, critical thinking, emotional regulation, logical analysis, and resilience. You can look for DIY project ideas online depending on the level of difficulty, and the area of interest of your child. It can include cooking, engineering, craft making, science experiments, and much more.
Conclusion:
There is a plethora of activities to choose from, but the prime goal is to find one that most appeals to your child, and hones their skills and potential. If you’re having a hard time choosing from all the possibilities, it’s wise to connect to a Career Counselor or School Counselor. They are better equipped with means to determine where your child might perform better, based on Personality Assessments, Aptitude Tests, and Performance Assessments.
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