Creative home-based after school program

So, your son’s school does not offer any extracurricular activities. You are worried about depriving your child of all that extra knowledge and fun. What should you do?

After school activities need not be taught in a school-like environment by professional teachers in a structured and timely manner. There is a lot YOU can do to support your child’s academic, physical and social
development. Do not be too concerned about formal programs, as many of our children are already over-scheduled.

Obviously, school is a top priority for children. They need to go to school and finish their homework. They should then do their daily reading or writing work etc. This may take about 30-60 minutes. In the course of his daily work, your child may develop certain academic preferences and interests. In that case, you can try and find a program in a college or a
community center that will help him and encourage him. In the age of the Internet, information is really not a rarity. Allow him to use the net to find more information about the thing that he likes. Encouraging the child to do independent research to gain in-depth knowledge is something that no formal program does.

If you are concerned about the lack of social life, enroll him or her in a club – a reading club maybe. Visit public libraries or even the theatre, if your child is interested. It is not necessary for your child to make friends with children his own age. A parent-child book club is another interesting option. If you can round up a number of like-minded children and their parents, you may well start your own after-school program.

When there is no organized group activity, look to your community. Many children love to get involved in social problems. They get their first real taste of suffering, charity and community help from such experiences.
Volunteering for clean-up sessions, adult education programs, etc could be a real eye-opener for your child. The lessons thus learned are invaluable.

If a physical activity or the lack of it is your major concern, enroll your child for some dancing classes. If organized sports are impossible to get, try to enroll her in a gym. She may find friends there and may take to the treadmill.

Your child does not necessarily have to be a part of an organized group to benefit from after-school activities. There are various avenues open in front of you. Roping in the enthusiasm of your children in daily household activities like cooking, cleaning, etc can also provide them with a refreshing extracurricular experience. Moreover, it will improve family ties too.

Art-based activities

A recent report by several independent researchers concludes that participating in the arts nurtures the development of social, personal and cognitive skills. Programs based on Arts can improve academic achievement and decrease the tendency towards delinquency. It helps youth form positive attitudes about themselves and builds self-esteem.

Arts programs involve communication, interpretation, and understanding of complex symbols, much like mathematics and languages. Thus it fosters higher-order analytical skills and skills of evaluation and synthesis. Many of the programs make the child regularly use multiple skills thus making him dynamic and versatile.

Development of imagination, judgment, and philosophy are fringe benefits of an arts-based activity. As opposed to the short 45-minute duration of the art classes at school, the extra time allowed in after-school activities allows the child to get more involved. This results in more satisfactory opportunities for the development of latent capabilities in the child. In turn, the child learns to set high standards of achievement. He understands what sustained focus is and learns that regular practice is the way to excellence.

In the shy or the withdrawn child, theatre, speech or drama lessons may be an outlet for pent up emotions. As drama entails getting into the ‘skin’ of another person, the child learns to verbalize emotions and express thoughts. These reasons account for the popularity of arts-based
activities.

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