After school activities are not only fun and refreshing but it supplies children with memories that will be recalled in their future. These activities are more than just schedule fillers. They instil values like teamwork, leadership and culpability. Extracurricular activities have substantiated in improving academic attendance and bringing academic successes. They have also proven beneficial in avoiding the use of drugs and controlling body weight. Additional education content like music and other art forms help students excel in classroom academics as well. Below is a list of reason why extracurricular activities are a fantastic way to help your child flourish in various areas of development.

Strong Minds

Academic activities such as in-depth reading and complex problem-solving assignments play an intrinsic role in strengthening your child’s mind. Whereas physical activities additionally build upon toughening your child’s mind even further. High endurance sports activities will help your child in developing the ability to recover quickly from difficult situations. By participating in sports and other physical activities they are provided with an opportunity in enjoying an active social life and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Physical activities also provide them with a much-needed break from all the stress and boredom created due to academic curricula.

Social Skills

Participating in after school activities allow your children to socialize with different groups of people. They make new friends, they converse with people who possess similarities such their own. Regardless of whether your child is an introvert or an extrovert, signing them up for these activities will improve their social skills way beyond imagination. They develop deeper bonds of friendships with like-minded people. They learn to collaborate with mentors and their peers. Your children will learn to break social barriers and these activities will keep them from being distracted into other inappropriate, disturbing activities.

Professional Skills

Classroom alone will not be able to imbibe your child with professional skills. Signing them up for leadership clubs will help them develop important management and delegation skills required for their future. Debate clubs and toastmaster clubs also provide an amazing platform for practising and improving one’s public speaking skills. Other sports activities like basketball, football and volleyball help in nurturing and strengthening your child’s team-building skills. Therefore extracurricular activities support your children by bestowing them with skills which will prove to be an asset when they are looking to be employed in the future.

Time Management 

Besides schoolwork, additional commitments to one’s already busy schedule might look hectic. As this demands your child to divide their attention equally amongst both academics as well as extracurricular activities. This will not only help your children in understanding the importance of time management but they will learn to keep themselves busy during free times as well. Being occupied will also help them focus on completing tasks rather than procrastinating them further. Time management plays a crucial role in their examinations as well. They will also be applying time management skills in various phases of their life.

Exploration

Children will learn more about themselves when they participate in various extracurricular activities. They will learn to explore their strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. They will try out new activities and interests. This will help them choose their majors and minors when they enrol themselves to universities in the future. These diversified views gained by participating in various activities will broaden their perspective about the world. For example: Joining a philosophy club will provoke them to look at the world through the eyes of a philosopher. Scholarships achieved by excelling in non-academic activities will provide your child with an opportunity to attain admissions in reputed universities. 

Academic Performance

Students may worry that participating in non-academic activities might take up too much of their time and in turn hurt their grades. But these activities, in general, have proven to be effective in improving grades and their outlook on school. Participation in these activities will increase the functioning and help them concentrate and manage their time better. Training in high endurance sports will help them focus and build stamina. This will prove to be advantageous while taking up exams. These activities will help in achieving higher grades and aim for higher academic aspirations.

Children learn to adapt well to changes as compared to adults. So it’s a parent’s responsibility to put them in various stimulating situations when as they develop. These activities promote physical, emotional and mental health. It also contributes to improving your child’s self-esteem. They learn to make new friends and involve themselves in challenges – fail – improve and then try again. By maintaining proper schedules amongst various activities they can easily learn to manage their time. They can squeeze the best out of all the activities and gain the maximum benefit. It’s a great platform to have fun and prepare for the future as well.