Studying math, English or science is not quite enough in giving your child a well-rounded learning experience. A holistic education goes beyond the basics - it's about being involved in activities that extend their learning through new experiences, opportunities, and challenges. Therefore, it's necessary to provide students with meaningful learning experiences that help reinforce or expand upon what kids are learning in school.
Enrichment activities and programs offer extended learning opportunities while expanding horizons through new experiences. It gives students the opportunity to try new and varied activities that may not strictly fit into the curriculum. These can be anything from school, community-organized or self-driven pursuits, across academics, sports, arts, and more, and are offered with the goal of being purposeful and sharpening and fleshing-out student skill sets.
These activities not only provide new learning opportunities or enhance their knowledge/skills, they build character, confidence, resilience, and motivation. As your pre teen builds new skills and continues pursuing their passion independently, they're learning problem-solving skills and critical thinking that they can apply in other situations.
Depending on the activity your child is enrolled in, they help develop essential social, emotional, and cognitive skills. For example, sports build athleticism and teamwork. The arts spur creativity and emotional intelligence. Volunteering develops social awareness and leadership skills.
With thoughtful planning, parents can complement academics with experiences that nurture their child. In the section below, let us look at how to carefully choose enrichment activities outside the classroom for a well-rounded learning experience.
How to Pick Enrichment Activities for Your Child
Let Your Child Lead the Way
When you're deciding on possible enrichment activities for your child, be sure to ask for your child's input and opinions. It is always important to choose an activity that they enjoy doing. It's easy for them to feel quite burned out if they are being forced and don't enjoy the activity.
Giving children unstructured time to explore their interests freely can provide valuable insights. Observe what captures your child's attention during playtime. Ask open-ended questions and listen closely when they share their dreams and opinions. By facilitating an environment that allows them to explore, you give your child a chance to feel and see what they might be interested in. Once you notice an inclination towards specific topics or activities, provide them with more resources including formal lessons to develop their skills in the particular domain. Monitor how they respond before committing fully to an activity.
Build a Well-Rounded Activity List
Students attain enrichment when they are engaged in activities that contribute to their overall growth across cognitive, social, emotional, and personal aspects of their lives. As discussed in the above section, different activities help build different aspects of holistic growth/development. Therefore, it's necessary to find the perfect balance of activities.
A balanced activity profile includes involvement with the four following categories: academics, sports, arts, and community engagement. So how do you achieve a balanced profile of activities without forcing your child?
Building a balanced activity profile doesn't mean your child needs to be engaged in activities across all four categories at the same time or even at the same intensity. There may be one or a few primary activities that your child commits to practicing daily, and there may be other activities they cycle through from time to time. For example, pursuing a hobby in painting can be a secondary activity, and taking language classes for a term can be a seasonal activity.
The interests grow from the seeds scattered about the rich spaces at home, in schools, in the community, in books, in media, and online. Parents shall facilitate an environment at home to improve the exposure to different areas of interests out there.
In the following section, you can view a list of after-school activities to consider for your child. As discussed, start by exposing them at home through games or fun do-along sessions. Assess interest for an extended period of time before taking it up as a commitment.
Coding for Students: Coding is a valuable skill that can be helpful in many different job fields. Learning to code doesn't have to be boring; there are fun and creative ways to introduce coding to your child. For example, if your kid is interested in gaming, start with more visual programs like Roblox. Roblox uses a simple programming language that allows kids to create a game using Roblox Studio.
Arts and Design: Arts programs encourage creativity and self-expression. Arts-related activities can include art lessons or classes that focus on crafts or art appreciation. If your child shows a natural inclination towards the arts, you can expose them to a variety of formal activities ranging from photography, design, sculpting, or even movie-making. Have open conversations to know what area intrigues them, and if it interests you, you can sign them up for formal lessons.
Speech and Debate: Children benefit from communication activities such as speech or debate because they learn to think on their feet and speak their minds. They're great for kids since they foster creativity, confidence, and self-assurance. You can opt for formal training or organize similar activities with your family. Consider enrolling them in competitions if your child demonstrates excellent communication skills and a natural flair for public speaking and narration, as this can help further nurture their communication talents.
Creative Writing: It is one of the best after-school enrichment activities for preteens, especially for those with a flair for storytelling and imaginative thinking. Practicing writing in general allows one to develop a unique voice, a form of self-expression, and improve their grammar skills and vocabulary. Creative writing can be a fun way to perfect writing skills, which later becomes an essential skill during college applications and higher-level academics.
Performing Arts: Theatre, Music, or Dance
Performing arts enables your child to hone several skills and is one of the best ways to boost confidence. For example, while performing in theater, one has to memorize lines, think quickly, express emotions, and ultimately be confident enough to get on stage. This category of after-school activity is great for students who enjoy performing in front of a crowd and have a natural inclination for at least one of the art forms.
Sports: Sport-related activities can include both competitive and non-competitive sports. Schools often provide a multitude of options for competitive sports. If your child is interested in sports activities without the competition, you may want to look into individualized activities such as biking, hiking, fencing, shooting, canoeing, aerobics, fishing, and karate.
Chess: Chess and board games are a great way to develop strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. These games are the most accessible activities that you can begin playing at home. Assess your preteen's interest level and skill before signing them up for advanced classes or competitions.
Academic Clubs: There may be an abundance of club options in your pre-teen's school, such as STEM club, robotics club, debate club, and so on. Joining a club could be a great enrichment option if they are genuinely interested and actively participate in the initiatives of the club. On the other hand, joining a club just to fill out an extra hour would do more harm than good. Speak to your child and assess their interest before pursuing the activity further.
Volunteering: Volunteering teaches your child citizenship skills, as well as empathy for others and a sense of community. Volunteering is a must-have activity to include in your child's schedule if your aim is to give them a well-rounded experience. The experience teaches not just compassion and a sense of responsibility, but also helps them build problem-solving and social skills as they interact with fellow volunteers and people in the community. Volunteer opportunities are everywhere; you can start by contacting a local service group such as the Boy Scouts or the Girl Scouts.
3. Avoid Over-Scheduling
If your child has many interests, choosing just a few can be hard. Therefore, it is important to consult with your child and view how each of them fits into their schedule. As discussed in the earlier section, enrichment activities can take place during or after school, during the summer months, or over winter break. They don't have to commit daily to every activity on the list. Rather, find the primary activities that they truly enjoy and stay consistent in practicing them.
The pursuit of finding a primary activity doesn't have to be simple. Your child might need to take a few classes before they realize they aren't cut out for it. Be flexible and open to trying out as many activities that drive their curiosity before committing to one. Start from home, find affordable classes when they begin their exploration, but at the end, encourage them to choose one or two activities that they can commit to on a daily basis. Utilize summer breaks and weekends to indulge in other experiences and hobbies to give them a well-rounded learning experience.
If you are interested in building a well-rounded experience and need help to get started, Rise may be the best place to start. Our academic strategist meets one-on-one with your child to help them build a well-rounded educational pathway. In our unique approach, we help students organize academic, extracurricular, personal, and family commitments to achieve well-rounded growth. Book a free consultation today with our academic advisor to learn how our programs could specifically help your child.
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