Depending on the background, community, age, and personalities, activities right after school may vary per child. Many parents think that their toddlers don’t need much anymore after they finish their formal lessons. After all, they’ve just spent more than two hours learning and playing with their friends. The hours after school? Shouldn’t they rest, eat, play some more, and just let you be?
Unfortunately, because of so many distractions that surround people, kids are easily bored and inattentive. They do so many things at once that they cannot focus on a particular task they have to do. So, how can parents entertain kids, especially after their regular school?
The obvious solution is to make them attend an after-school care center where they can learn and participate in various activities. In these facilities, kids with the same interests will be grouped together. They can share their experiences and knowledge about certain activities, as well as learn from each other.
Field Trips
The great thing about daycare centers and after-school centers is they organize field trips for kids of all ages. They usually take kids to museums and other historical sites. Here, kids can learn about animals, art, and history. These field trips are usually memorable for kids because they get to spend time with their friends while also learning about a host of other things. Some schools even take kids to amusement and theme parks. If you are not comfortable with the latter, you can be the chaperone, so you get to monitor your kids.
School Clubs
One of the best activities for your kids is to join school clubs. They can join English, science, and math clubs. There are non-academic clubs, too, for those with interests in sports, music, and art. Why are school clubs a popular activity for kids? They get to share many memories with their peers. They also learn from seminars, training, and workshops. Many of these school clubs are managed by actual professionals such as athletes, musicians, and artists.
Sports
Are your kids, perhaps, great at basketball, tennis, swimming, and other sports? Participating in sports after school will have a positive impact on your children. From as young as three years old, they can already learn how to hit the ball with their tennis racket or swim from one end of the pool to another. Gifted athletes show signs during the early years, so it’s important to harness these skills in your children. They will slowly discover what kind of sports (or not) they want to do.
Music and Art
If your kids are not the sporty type, then ask if they want to dabble in music and art. You can enroll them in music classes and let them choose which musical instrument they want to learn to play. Plenty of kids are interested in learning piano, guitar, and drums. Why not enroll them in different basic classes so that they can get a feel of what they want to pursue. There are a lot of affordable (and sometimes even free) music classes for toddlers.
As for art, you can organize a playdate with your neighbors. During the playdate, kids can paint, draw, and sculpt. There are some great online classes for kids, so you don’t need to lead the art playdate or even hire someone to teach the kids.
Outreach Programs
While music, art, sports, and school clubs are great activities for toddlers, parents often forget that they can also teach their kids how to help the less fortunate. Community centers often have outreach programs that aim to target the less fortunate children in the neighborhood. Try to join these programs and take your toddlers. You might think that they don’t understand yet the implications of what they see, but children are very sensitive to situations. You will be surprised to know that many of them have a deeper understanding of the environment where they find themselves.
Performing Arts
Another great activity for kids is theater arts. Is there a local theater in your neighborhood? Perhaps, they are making a production of The Nutcracker. Wouldn’t you want your kids to participate in that production? The performing arts will open avenues for your kids you never thought existed. Who knows what you will discover about them and, more importantly, what they will discover about themselves.
These activities will provide a positive experience for your kids. They will discover their hidden talents and skills. This journey of self-discovery is one fraught with heartbreaks but with you by their side, supporting them all the time, they will feel confident enough to pursue these things.
