There are various types of extracurricular activities for children. Sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball …) are the preferred activity for children, along with martial arts or dance. Each type of activity fosters a different aspect of the child’s development. However, we should not overload children with an excess of extracurricular activities. They also need to rest!
Extracurricular activities for children
For some years, there is a current of parents who prefer not to overload their children with too many extracurricular activities.
However, according to the latest data collected by the Evaluation Institute of the Ministry of Education, the number of compulsory education students in Spain aimed at extracurricular activities amounts to 91.7%.
Sports are the most demanded extracurricular activity by parents and children: more than 70% of primary and secondary school children practice some sport after class. Sports follow, far behind, languages, with almost 30% of students enrolled in a language academy.
Dance, theater, painting or music (artistic activities that encourage the imagination and creativity of children) have a follow-up, in each case, of around 20% of children in compulsory education, and they constitute the third largest group of extracurricular activities preferred by parents and children.
These data allow us to deduce that a good number of parents point their children to more than one activity per week, combining the sport with another type of activity.
Types of extracurricular activities for children
Sports activities for children: football, basketball, volleyball…
Sport is undoubtedly a highly recommended activity for children. The sedentary life of adults can end up influencing children if parents do not take any action. Although their age asks them to run, jump, get tired …, life in the city does not always allow it. For this reason, the children themselves usually welcome very well the idea of practicing some sport, whichever they prefer.
In addition, team sports, such as football or volleyball, teach children to interact with each other, to compete in a healthy way, to respect rules…
Martial arts for children: karate, judo, taekwondo…
Some boys and girls prefer to learn martial arts, such as judo, taekwondo or karate. This kind of activities, like sports, gives them the opportunity to download their energy and meet other children their age.
Martial arts instill in children a special sense of discipline and self-control, which is why they are highly recommended for impulsive children, with a tendency towards aggression.
Academic activities for children: English, computer…
To avoid overloading the children, who in addition to school have homework or homework, we must try to take extracurricular activities of an academic nature, such as languages, computers … etc., as a leisure activity.
To do this, parents should avoid demanding the same performance from their children in their language classes as in their school classes.
Artistic activities for children: music, theater, dance…
Many adults would like to be able to play some instrument skillfully. However, we should not project this yearning on our children, who may prefer another type of activity.
For children, it is very beneficial to learn music because it helps them develop their hearing and abstract thinking. If we do not want our son to abandon his instrument as soon as he has a chance. We parents should avoid putting too much pressure on him.
Theater and dance are very suitable activities for introverted boys and girls since they will find alternative ways of expressing their emotions.
