The Importance of After school Activities

Welcome back! As the school year gets underway your child is probably asking to do a laundry list of after school activities. While you may not be able to grant every wish on your child’s list, it is important to incorporate some after school activities into your child’s life. If your child is asking to do something and doesn’t let it go, that means it must be something that’s really important to them and something you may want to explore.

Here are some of the reasons why after school activities are important and why your child should be taking part.

After school activities build teamwork skills.

Working well with others is a skill that children can use throughout their lives. Communicating with others and working side by side is a skill that doesn’t come naturally to many of us, never mind to kids. If they can learn this during an after school activity, it will benefit them long after the activity ends.

After school activities build social skills.

Childhood is a key time for kids to develop social skills. When kids are surrounded by other kids who have the same interests, they may be more likely to talk to them and make friends.

After school activities can make children healthier and more active.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity affects about 13.7 million nationwide. Anything that we can do to get kids moving and not add to that statistic is a bonus. Although kids may be sedentary in some after school activities, the fact that they are not eating junk food in front of a screen by themselves is a big plus. Getting kids out of the house, meeting their peers, and exploring new hobbies will help keep them moving and healthy.

After school activities build confidence.

After school activities can help build confidence by letting kids try new things, maybe even fail at them, but then learn from their mistakes. This resilience can build confidence they can carry with them throughout their lives.

After school activities at MakerKids can get your child’s mind moving and build their confidence. At MakerKids, your child can explore coding, robotics, and Minecraft programs as well as special camps. They’ll learn from maker mentors who work one on one to encourage them to explore. Call us today at 1-844-MAKERKIDS to find out more.