After-school activities for kids can be a fantastic chance for them to make new friends and explore new hobbies. But it’s important to know when your child is ready for these brand-new clubs and classes, and how to avoid turning fun after-school activities into a tiring chore.
When is My Child Ready for After-School Activities?
When to get started with after-school activities
Being old enough to have certain life skills can help your child make the most of kids after school activities, so it may be a sign that they’re not ready for after-school clubs if they can’t:
- Follow instructions: This means they can fully take part in any games or tasks and not interrupt the group
- Happily be away from home a few more hours: After school clubs, especially travelling to them, require a good level of independence, so consider if your child is ready for this.
- Happily meet new people: Their usual class or friend group might not go to the same club, and they might also be mixing with some children outside of their age group, too.
- Handle their emotions: Depending on the activity, after-school clubs could mean your child is introduced to the idea of competition, rivals, and different levels of confidence in the group. If you think your child isn’t ready to handle these sorts of emotions and situations, it might still be too soon for them.
How to pick the best activities
No one wants to be sent to spend an hour doing something they’re not interested in. Sporty kids are sure to love football, and more creative kids might love fun after-school activities like a painting class. Letting kids explore their talents can be a huge boost to their confidence, but getting this wrong may result in them being bored and demotivated.
You should also keep your child’s age in mind, after all, the best after-school activities for 6-year-olds are different to after-school activities for 12-year-olds, and you don’t want your child to feel out of their depth.
Here are some top tips for getting it right:
- Try a trial class or period so there’s no pressure on kids to love it immediately
- Offer them a mix of activities, e.g. sports vs art vs academic
- Don’t assume what they like — kids always know how to surprise you
- Check in with them often, and don’t force them to continue if they don’t want to
- Don’t take away from quality time at home, e.g. if Monday night is gaming time with their siblings, don’t book a class for that day
- Don’t change their usual timings — if their bedtime is usually at 8 pm, avoid classes that go on until 9 pm
- Give them the tools they need to make the most of their activities — this can be as simple as pocket money (with their Rooster Card, of course) so they can grab a snack with their football club mates
How many activities are too many?
Your child might love their fun after-school activities, but remember, you can have too much of a good thing. Around 2-3 after-school activities a week is a good amount, but every child is different and there is no ‘magic number’.
It’s a good idea to have a variety of classes, so your child isn’t doing physical activities too many times a week, in the same way, you don’t want to make a favourite hobby into a chore by attending the same club too often.
Kids will soon start showing signs if it’s all a bit too much, so make sure you keep an eye on how well they’re handling their new timetable while looking out for the following:
- Low or grumpy moods
- Being unable to sleep at bedtime
- Slipping grades or missed homework
- Deliberately trying to skip clubs by ‘being sick’ or ‘losing’ their kit
- Being unable to concentrate
By keeping all these pointers in mind, you can find your child the ideal mix of clubs for them to explore their passions and talents.
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