Besides helping to support working parents, after school activities offer several benefits to help your child’s development. It is an environment that helps children to learn more about themselves while making friends.
The following are 10 benefits that after school activities offer:
1. Develop better social skills
After School activities allow children to feel free to be themselves and meet like-minded children. Thus, they are allowed to express themselves and keep improving their social skills.
2. Learn new life skills
After School clubs offer children the opportunity to develop several life skills such as teamwork, creativity, problem solving, and communication skills. These will be skills that they can then utilize while growing up.
3. Discover new interests and hidden talents
Since there are a wide variety of options for after school activities, it will allow your child to explore different ones. This will then help them identify which areas they are passionate about.
4. Improve physical health
Keeping active is vital for a growing child to be healthy. Thus, they can join a sport as an afterschool activity rather than going home to watch TV.
5. Builds confidence
Children need to build their confidence while growing up. Thus, after-school activities offer them the opportunity to interact with new people and strengthen their confidence in specific areas.
6. Gives a sense of belonging
After School activities can give your child the opportunity to connect with friends and feel included. This results in them having a sense of belonging and unity.
7. Provides academic support
Certain afterschool activities can help your child with homework. This means that for those working parents, their child can finish their homework before they are picked up from school. In turn, this will leave them plenty of more time for fun and games when they get home.
8. Boosts imagination and creativity
It is vital for children to learn how to be creative while growing up. Creativity will help them to learn how to be innovative and solve problems more easily.
9. Provides mental growth
When children are young their mind is still growing. Therefore, some after school activities, such as chess groups, can help your child to think and react faster in certain situations.
10. A great deal of fun!
After School activities allow for your child to have fun and enjoy themselves which would help them to destress from school. At the end of the day, your child just wants to feel good, and this can be done by having fun at after school activities.
As can be seen through these benefits, after school activities provide a sense of direction, while creating new social networks for your child. Therefore, they are as important as school and homework.
If you think that you can benefit from professional support on this issue you can reach out here.
Mandy Brincat is a Gestalt psychotherapist who enjoys working therapeutically with adults on various issues, such as general mental health and wellbeing. She also has experience working with children with anxiety and day to day stressful problems, and on relational issues with couples.
References:
- Kelly, K. (2019, August 5). Benefits of Afterschool Programs | Child After School Programs. Understood – For learning and thinking differences. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/benefits-afterschool-programs-kids-with-learning-thinking-differences
- Ryan. (2020, August 10). Benefits of Afterschool Programs & Their Importance for Kids & Teens. iD Tech. https://www.idtech.com/blog/benefits-of-after-school-programs
- The Benefits Of An After School Program For Children. (2022, March 10). Providence Children’s Academy. https://www.providencechildrensacademy.com/10-benefits-of-an-after-school-program/