Because of budget constraints, many schools have been forced to cut back on sports and arts programs, but these are an important part of healthy child development. You could reinstate these important areas to your child's curriculum by incorporating them in their After School activities. Leagues and private instructors can cost a fortune but you can make your own educational pursuits right at home for just a fraction of the price. In this article we show you some great do-it-yourself projects that are so enjoyable that the kids will not even know they picking up a new skill.
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions. After a day of creative activities and seat work in school, many children simply go home and plop down in front of the TV or computer. To get them up from their shows and video games that challenge children with after school physical activities that are fun as relay races, backyard t-ball games and even skateboarding. Category Hopscotch is a challenging after-school activity that teaches your child to think fast as they jump around. All you need is some chalk, a few stones as markers, and a small rubber or tennis ball. Draw a hopscotch court on the ground and set a category name in each box. You can use categories such as colors, fruits, cars and names. The player throws the ball and hops into any category as the ball lands on it, calling out a name that matches the category they land on. To make it more challenging, words can not be repeated. The kid who is first to complete all the categories is the winner.
Kids crafts, activity books and coloring pages are always fail proof activities, especially for younger children. To keep the older children punctual, have them make calendar bookmarks. You need an old calendar, glue sticks, cardboard or construction paper, a hole punch, and some bright tape or string. Cut the calendar in weekly segments and use a glue stick to attach the pieces to strips of colorful paper. Use hole punch to make a hole in one end and loop a length of ribbon or string through it. Using a fine tip marker, children can write their favorite activities in the boxes that correspond to the day they do them. For example, Monday - Gym Class, Tuesday - piano lessons and so on. They can decorate their bookmarks with photos and stickers as well.
Children usually have munchies when they get home from school, so teaching them to eat healthy by getting them busy in the kitchen. Nachos are a fun-to-make, kid-friendly snack, you can also make them for dinner! Brown some ground beef, drain fat and add some mild taco sauce or salsa. For a vegetarian version, substitute black beans for ground meat. On a pizza pan, low baked, whole grain tortilla chips with the meat and grated cheese. Put it in the oven until cheese melts. Serve nachos with a number of thin sour cream, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, re-fried beans and diced red or green peppers. Preparing this simple, delicious snack will teach children the importance of incorporating the four food groups in their diet, show them how to follow a recipe, and introduce them to the food measurement. As a bonus, the kids will be eating a serving of vegetables without even knowing it!
If you are not available to monitor children's projects after classes let out, then make a list of things to do for the carer, and give him or her a bag of supplies. If you choose an afterschool club, make sure that there are physical activities that your child will benefit from. Afterschool activities can play an important role in a child's development, so make sure they have fun and use time wisely.
