After School Activities That Actually Engage Kids

Several studies are expressing a growing concern that after school programs are pressurizing kids to do too much too soon. They point out that when a child's afternoon is filled with classes, trips, sports and other forms of organized activities, kids do not really get the time to be just kids. They are even being deprived of the cherished family time.   Undoubtedly, there are children who are being burdened with a schedule that places too much demand on their time. This leads to increased levels of stress on the child and the family. As regular studies cannot be ignored,...

With children becoming the primary focus of society, ways and means to ensure their safety and development are being researched. The Government too has pooled in to make a success of such programs. Here are some of the reasons why after school programs have become so popular:   1) Preventing Juvenile Delinquency, crime and violent victimization: About 10% of juvenile crimes happen between 3 P.M. - 4 P.M. Children need to be kept safe and out of trouble at such times 2) Preventing alcohol, drug and tobacco use. Risk-taking behavior that seeks to establish superiority in a clan is mostly...

With the growing interest in after school programs shown by the Government as well as parents, new and hitherto unheard of programs are being explored. In an attempt to make a child aware of his responsibilities as an individual and as a citizen, these after school programs make use of a child's natural curiosity and his irrepressible energy.   Investigative Skills: In some schools in Kernersville, children are developing their investigative skills. Children meet with adults who introduce them to the details of fake non-violent crimes. They take notes, visit the scene and gather information. Students learn to listen to...

In a world that is slowly but surely turning away from books and getting glued to monitors or television screens, the importance of developing a passion for reading cannot be overlooked. Reading is a habit and should be established when the child is relatively young. What can you do to foster this habit?   Enroll your child for reading classes: There are many well structured after school reading classes that aim to draw the children to books. They help kids with diction, idioms and phrases. For young children, these classes can be fun with animated characters and pictures. Illustrated picture...

After school programs can be divided into 3 broad categories: academic, recreational and social. Balanced development takes place when there is compatibility between the physical, mental as well as the educational achievements of the child.As the name suggests recreational after school programs are based on a sport or recreation. Some of the more common physical activities include football, swimming and basketball.Some clubs offer programs like gymnastics, trekking and hiking. In this case, youngsters are often given a short class in first-aid class also.   Recreational after school programs offer children an opportunity to let off some steam and to destress...