The Benefits of Extra-Curricular Activities for Children

At school your child will have a plethora of opportunities to make the most of. Extracurricular activities are a prime example which are offered by most. They are designed to help children build new skills different to the ones they develop in class, allow for self-exploration, and provide children the chance to socialise with others. We’ve teamed up with a prep school in Hertfordshire to share some of the fascinating benefits of school extra-curricular activities with you.

Demonstrates Passion and Commitment

Extra-curricular activities are just that, an extra layer of school. They give children additional responsibilities to juggle and manage effectively. From the perspective of a future employer or college, this can demonstrate passion and strong work ethic. 

Employability

To follow on, extra-curricular activities demonstrate the kind of skills a child has. School leavers tend to not have much work experience so taking part in a few extracurricular activities can help boost the appeal of their CV and help get their core competencies across. 

Self-Exploration

Knowing their strengths and weaknesses is important for children as it develops their self-esteem and highlights areas they need to work on. This is something children can do through exploring different extracurricular activities at school. 

Careers 

To follow on from the point above, as children learn about themselves, e.g., their passions, strengths, and weaknesses, they are able to form a better idea of the career they want to pursue. This can give them a head start and allow them to make steps in the right direction.

Developing Social Skills

It’s also a way your child can meet new people and make friends. It will give them the opportunity to develop their confidence and social skills as they are put in situations where they must take themselves out of their comfort zone and make conversation. 

Life Skills

Other skills that can be developed include creativity, problem solving, resilience and teamwork. Depending on the type of activity, your child may need to work with others such as football, or hockey which can teach them how to work effectively with others. Most will teach them creative thinking, problem solving and resilience as children must apply themselves and persevere to improve. These skills of course are needed throughout life and can therefore help your child in becoming more independent.

Furthering Themselves

For children with a passion for school subjects like science and maths, extra-curricular activities are a way they can further themselves and build on the work done in class.

Balance

School can be a tough experience for children, and extracurricular activities are something they can have fun with and look forward to. It creates balance and gives them something to look forward to at school.

Staying Out of Trouble

Your child will almost certainly learn or gain something valuable from partaking in an extracurricular activity. Free time is spent productively which will help ensure that your child stays out of trouble.

Of course, extra-curricular activities require commitment, so it’s important that your child is happy with those they are involved in as otherwise they will not enjoy themselves and not gain the benefits listed above.