Out-of-school activities are an excellent opportunity for children to develop different skills that are not developed at school. In addition to stimulating new learning, they also promote the child’s autonomy and independence and contribute to improving their social relationships. They also help reinforce self-control and self-esteem, while improving tolerance to frustration. However, any extracurricular activity is not valid, it is important that the child enjoys them and feels a true passion for that discipline.

Five disciplines that children may be interested in

1. Sport

Sport and physical exercise are very beneficial for children, both for their health and for their cognitive and social development. Whether it’s individual sports, team sports, competitions or skills, physical activity is always a good option for your child to have fun when he leaves school. If he doesn’t like more traditional sports like swimming, martial arts, ball sports or chess, you can suggest yoga, athletics, skating or fencing

2. Languages

In a globalized world like the current one, learning languages ​​is a necessity, and the sooner you start, the better. Therefore, an excellent after-school activity with a view to the future is language classes. The best languages ​​to choose from are: English, French and Italian, but you can also bet on German, Chinese and Russian. With these lessons you may not learn the language in depth but at least you will acquire the basic notions.

3. Art

After-school art classes are usually one of the favorites for children: dance, music, painting or theater are the most common. In addition, it is a way to develop their aesthetic taste and stimulate their artistic skills in a certain area. Ideally, the child feels some vocation for the activity they choose, but you can also suggest some ideas for them to try your luck.

4. Creativity

Taking extracurricular lessons to develop creativity and imagination is a great idea. In fact, this is usually a forgotten area at school but nowadays it is fundamental in practically all professions. Therefore, you can enroll your child in workshops on crafts, cooking, photography, body expression or any other topic that they are passionate about.

5. Specific branches

There are also specific extracurricular activities that can be very useful and interesting for children, such as lessons in computer science, mathematics, design, chemistry, physics or any other specialty that interests them. In this way, you will be stimulating their vocation for a particular profession from an early age.

How to choose the best extracurricular activities for your children?

• Motivate him. In order for your child to enjoy and take advantage of his extracurricular activities, it is important that he is motivated and that he does not perceive them as an imposition. As far as possible, it is advisable to opt for disciplines that are different or that complement school subjects, so that your child can expand their horizons.
• Listen to their preferences. At the time Before planning extracurricular activities, it is important to listen to the child’s preferences. Ideally, you should find a middle ground between the activities that are available in your area and the interests of your child. In this way you will be able to generate a commitment in the child.
• Find activities appropriate to their age and ability. It is important that you take into account the age and abilities of your child when time to choose an extracurricular activity. If you insist on signing him up for a class for which he has no attitude or for which he is not yet ready, he will surely end up rejecting it and feeling frustrated.
• Combine several types of activities. If the child attends several extracurricular activities, it is preferable that these be varied: some artistic, others sports and others academic. This way you won’t overwhelm him with the same theme, you can keep him motivated and broaden his horizons.