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No matter what age your child is, afterschool activities will help stimulate their creativity as well as their mental and physical health. Fortunately, there are plenty of activities your child can start taking advantage of, whether it’s spending time with you, taking acting classes with kids their age, or spending time with a mentor (if they are having a challenging time in school). Here are a few afterschool activities that will allow your kids’ creativity to blossom.
Spending Time With You
One of the most crucial activities that you can get your child to participate in afterschool is spending time with you. Unfortunately, not every parent has the flexibility to spend time with their child when they get out of school, but if you work from home you’ll be able to explore your child’s passions with them.
Spending time with your child right when they get home from school is incredibly important to their mental and social health, as well as a wonderful way to form a bond between the two of you. Your child needs someone at the house to talk about their day, help them with homework, and just hang out with in a positive way. Also, depending on the age of your child, you both can spend some time working on creative crafts.
If you are a parent that can’t spend time with your child afterschool, consider hiring a nanny or babysitter to ensure they get home safely and can work on creative afterschool activities to keep them busy and maintain their mental and social health.
Track and Field
If your child enjoys the outdoors, especially running, you should consider signing them up for track and field. This fun afterschool activity allows your child to run around their school’s track with kids their age, as well as field activities like long or high jump. Track and field is one of the least harmful sports for your child to participate in (compared to football and wrestling) and is excellent at keeping your child in good shape year-round. However, depending on the age of your child, it’s important to make sure they stay safe playing the sport, including the amount of time they’re spending outside in the sun, ensuring they’re properly stretching, and that they have the proper running gear. Although it’s super easy to become the most worried parent, remember to let your child have fun participating in afterschool sports and playing with their friends.
Additionally, afterschool sports like track and field can help improve your child’s mental concentration, in turn, enhancing their creativity. Plus, most coaches allow kids to choose what activities they want to partake in for the sport, so your child can let their creativity help them decide what kind of runner they want to be. After all, running around and around on a track can only be so much fun, so they have to find creativity in it somewhere!
Acting Classes
Is your child interested in theatre or a predominant drama king or queen? Method acting classes may be a great afterschool option for them to not only improve their social skills but also stimulate their creativity. Acting classes will allow your child to dive deep into the past and reenact Shakespeare or jump into the future and imagine what life may be like on another planet. Acting will allow your child to take advantage of their keen creativity and become a theatre expert in a matter of days. Compared to other afterschool activities, acting classes are reasonably priced, so you won’t have to break the bank trying to afford them for your child. Soon enough, you’ll be able to watch your child up on stage in their first play, which is such an exciting, rewarding experience.
Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts
If your child loves the outdoors or giving back to the community, you should consider enrolling them in either Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. These organizations are a great way for your child to make new friends, learn essential life skills, and allow their creativity to grow. From learning how to tie different knots to cleaning up an area of the town, your child will love being able to spend more time with their friends out of school, while being able to improve their mental and physical health as well.
Meeting With a Mentor
A great way to help your child with their academic struggles is to hire a tutor or mentor for weekly or monthly meetings. With help from a mentor, your child will be able to expand their knowledge in any subject and enjoy fun, creative activities that will finally make learning fun! Fortunately, there are also plenty of free, online resources you can sign your child up for if you’re trying to save money. They will provide creative projects and daily assignments that can help them in their school classes, especially homework assignments and take-home projects.
If you’re worried about your child’s creativity not being stimulated afterschool and you don’t want them resorting to watching television or playing video games, look for activities that will boost their mental and physical health. It’s crucial that you know about these wonderful options so you can find the best fit for your children, whether it’s art, music, science, sports, or other creative outlets.
Which creative afterschool activities do your children enjoy?
I still remember how sacred and special after school time was for me as a child because it’s when I got one-on-one time with my mom while we waited for my older sister to come home from her school. We never did anything particularly special, but that time together was incredibly special and I still have wonderful memories of it. Thank you for the reminder! 🙂
Great ideas! Mine do soccer in the fall, skiing in the winter, and baseball in the spring so we really have to squeeze our QT in!
Letting them pick their passion is so important – especially after a long day of academics! My kids have loved exploring their theatrical side with both dance and theater. It means a lot of driving for me, but it’s worth it.
With all the great options, the trick is to not over-schedule them. What a blessed time to be alive!
My kids are sporty and enjoy volleyball or horse riding. I love to spend quality time with them after school, when we usually read books from library.
You have made a good selection of after school activities that can stimulate child creativity. Children need both physical activity and positive social interaction. Your thoughts can be of much help.