Three Great After School Enrichment Programs Options for Kids


After school program activities

While technology continues to improve at an unparalleled rate, more and more kids are reaching for their smartphones and their video games. But that does that mean that kids are losing opportunities for physical exercise outside or other kinds of social interactions after school? Potentially, yes. It’s not rocket science that kids tend to thrive better when they’re able to flourish in social settings. Here’s a quick list of activities for after school programs to help you brainstorm something for your kids to do besides sit at home playing video games.

Karate after school programs

This has long been one of the most popular after school enrichment programs available. Studies have suggested that having a child study karate or some other forms of martial arts can help improve the symptoms of both ADHD or ADD. That’s partly because karate requires very strict patience, discipline and concentration, all things that can help a person focus his or her thoughts and functions on one thing at a time. And it’s not just the boys’ club, either — studies show that a third of all karate students in the United States today are female.

Group youth sports

You’d be hard-pressed to find a child who hasn’t participated in some kind of youth sport, even if it was only for a season or two. There’s certainly no shortage of sports to choose from, either. In the winter, you can opt for hockey or basketball, and in the nicer weather, you can venture outside for soccer and football. Sports, even for kids as young as first or second grade, can foster a great sense of teamwork and interdependence that’s crucial as they grow up and learn to rely on these skills in other aspects of life.

Drama or acting organizations

All after school enrichment programs don’t have to be about physical exercise (although it certainly doesn’t hurt). Some can be heavily rooted in the arts, such as acting clubs and drama organizations. These allow kids to embrace their inner performers, singers, dancers and actors by learning to memorize a specific routine or piece of drama and reciting it back for an audience. These kinds of clubs can foster growth in terms of self-confidence as well as pride in one’s work. References.


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