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Primary Times explores some of the benefits of after-school activities
Despite having been working hard at school all day, sometimes children just have endless bundles of energy and enthusiasm. Clubs and classes after school can sometimes be the perfect arrangement for both parents and children.
Nowadays there is a wide variety of after school opportunities available to suit a range of interests and abilities. Clubs and classes for children can be physically active to release some of that extra energy into sports, or educational to provide additional help and support where needed outside of school hours. It’s worth checking with local schools for any clubs and activities currently running, or look into other organisations, groups and teams as well for after-school sessions.
The benefits of after-school classes and activities:
Builds communication skills
Team games and sports clubs give children more experience in being part of a group, as well as helping to build their confidence in working with other people and in group achievements and accomplishments. Sports activities are also great for promoting health and fitness habits.
Encourages academic development
After-school homework classes can be an excellent opportunity for children to take some quiet time to complete their work and focus on independent learning. It’s also a chance to pick up tips and to learn from other pupils. Science clubs or similar are a great place for academically-minded children to come together to share their positive attitudes to learning and to develop their problem-solving skills together.
Meeting new people and making friends
Interacting and becoming familiar with other children at activities after school provides the perfect environment to develop social and interpersonal skills. Parents might also meet some friendly faces or like-minded people with shared interests to chat with at drop off or pick up!
Nurtures interests and supports natural talents
A child’s true passions might lie outside of the traditional curriculum, or they might want to do more of a certain activity than their timetable allows. After-school classes in certain sports, arts activities, dancing, singing and playing musical instruments for example allow children to explore their abilities and boost their talents.
Flexibility for parents
With secure and supervised sessions taking place after hours, it’s also worth considering the time that this frees up for parents. Whilst children are busy enjoying their after-school and extracurricular classes, you can run those errands, get some extra work done or simply take some time out for yourself to stop and relax for a little while!
Tutors
Private tutors are another avenue to explore for after-school activities. This might be a more suitable option for specialist teaching and extra support in maths or English for example, or one-to-one sessions in singing or in French, German or Spanish lessons. Make sure to do your research on the tutor’s qualifications and experience, and take reviews and recommendations into account. Your child’s thoughts and overall comfortability with a tutor is also really important to consider as well.
Which after-school activity will your child be choosing this term?