How important is it for kids to participate in extracurricular activities?

While the ongoing outcry in neighboring Canada seems to be having a detrimental impact on extracurricular activities for kids, with teachers announcing a pullout from them in protest, have all of us given a thought to how important these are proving to be for young children? This article gives a very realistic view of how children should be allowed to choose the activities they like to do, and not forced into something just because we as parents think they should do it. Here are some great reasons why extra curricular activities are important for your child: Understanding their strengths: It is only when a child tries out extracurricular activities such as music, theatre or sports, that they may begin to start understanding what their strengths are. It is a good idea to try out different activities when children are younger, so that as they grow, they can figure out for themselves that these are the ones they really want to stick to and explore further. Improves confidence:Doing well at something new can be a big confidence booster, and you might see even usually quiet kids develop bigger personalities when this happens. Especially when a child tries a new sport, or a new instrument, it is easy for parents to assess the joy of really liking what they are doing.

Kids playing soccer:
Image Courtesy: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Turku_Junior_football.jpg

Widens their interests: You will be happy to find your child spending less time in front of the TV or playing games on their favorite gadget, once they find some interesting extracurricular activities to pursue. If one of these can be a physical activity, this also takes care of exercise for your kids. When looking for after school activities, you can also look around for something involving arts and crafts for kids. Especially in younger children, this is a great way to improve motor skills and coordination. Parents are the best judges of how many and how often children should participate in extracurricular activities, while deferring to children’s likes and their interest in a particular activity. After school programs can also be a point of interest when looking for extracurricular activities in high school children. Our Math and English programs at Aloha USA can also be a great addition to your child’s schedule. Please see our website for more details: http://www.aloha-usa.com