Top 10 Activities That Should Be Included in An After-School Program

Schooling your children is part of providing a wholesome experience for them. The more your kids interact with other kids their age, the more they learn socially, intellectually, and even emotionally. However, other than the delegated school hours, after-school programs benefit children more than you may know.

What Are After-School Programs?

They are activities scheduled for hours outside the standard school time. These activities are open for children of all ages, so they vary to cater to children’s diverse interests. At Montessori School of Sugar Land, we tailor after-school programs for children based on their age. Some children are old enough for some activities, while others are too young. It also depends on how intrigued a child is to indulge in particular activities, both indoors and outdoors.

Purpose of The Afterschool Program

The primary purpose of after-school programs is to keep children engaged even after school hours. The programs are customized to promote learning time outside the set curriculum for education. The after-school programs are instrumental for fostering personal interests for kids, which are not necessarily taught or practiced during regular classes. Aside from that, after-school programs help keep children safe until they can be in the custody of their parents. Creating a safe and supportive environment becomes instrumental for the overall wellbeing of a child as they grow up.

Activities That Need to Be Part of After-school Programs

Many activities can be included in after-school programs, depending on the educators, as well as your child’s interests. Some of the activities include the following:

• Finishing homework – if you are one of those busy parents, it may be a great hassle to help your child with homework when they get home. However, the after-school programs can help your child finish the work effortlessly.
• Sporting activities – being part of different sports teams like soccer, football, lacrosse, to mention a few. Other sporting activities may include swimming and gymnastics.
• I am dancing and singing classes and competitions.
• Creative arts – including painting, drawing, photography, and other do-it-yourself projects
• Camping and hiking – depending on your location and season, camping and hiking are great activities that can be incorporated in after-school programs, done occasionally. Other outdoor activities include treasure hunting or scouts club activities.
• Book clubs – studying novels and other books not included in the standard school curriculum.
• Debating sessions – provoking meaningful social, political, cultural, and even religious conversations necessary for community building.
• Cooking lessons – whether pastries, making dinner, or learning different eating etiquettes.
• Self-defense classes – including martial arts, boxing, and taekwondo
• Gardening – to promote familiarity with nature. They can include activities for planting and watering flowers or trees.

Benefits of After-School Programs

When your educator at daycare in Sugar Land, TX, recommends an after-school program for your child, consider it as an opportunity to benefit yourself as well as your child. While you get more hours to finish up on work and house chores, your child benefits in the following ways:

• They prevent risky behavior after school hours – especially during the pre-teen and teenage years.
• They improve social skills – when children interact with others who share similar interests.
• Promoting healthy habits and hobbies – children can pick up new interests and hobbies that they may not have at home.
• Creating a sense of community with people other than classmates and family members – after-school programs help children create a sense of belonging in a community of people who share similar interests.
• We are offering educational support with activities like getting homework done.
• We are promoting physical health through sporting activities.
• Fostering identity-forming – other than regular education, children need to have more activities that help them build their identities. From creating groups of friends to figuring out their passions early, after-school activities are helpful for identify-forming.

Summary

After-school programs are fashioned to maximally benefit children on various fronts, including socially, physically, and in their cognitive abilities. When done right, after-school activities can help your child perform better in their school work. Besides, wouldn’t it be more reassuring as a parent to know that your child is safe and engaged in a meaningful activity after school instead of sitting idly at home?