by Beachbumwriter

Created on: March 17, 2007   Last Updated: February 23, 2012

It's not wise to skip extracurricular activities, because children can learn skills such as leadership or a skill to last a lifetime. One of the greatest extracurricular activity for children is the Girls and Boys Scouts. My daughter is in the Girls Scouts and takes piano lessons. These are two quality after school activities that will help her grow into a more well-rounded adult.

In Girls Scouts she has learned how to give back to the community through programs such as food basket drives and collecting school supplies for local schools. She enjoys going to camp where she hikes, plays in the pool, and bonds with her friends. After all the hard work of selling cookies, the girls get to go and spend the night at the local Aquarium and learn from a private tour.

In piano, she has learned how to read music. She is on her second lesson book and knows more than me. She will be able to enjoy playing the piano when she is an adult. This will make her a more well-rounded adult who can give back to others through playing at church, at home for her children, or teach others how to play. Who knows, she may even become a musician.

With schools cutting out programs such as recess and music classes out of regular school schedules, filling the void with extra activities will enrich your child's education. The key is to listen to your children and sign them up for activities that they are interested in. For example, my daughter was in ballet and she loved it. Then, she began to beg to quit. After making her stay until the end of the year, I decided not to sign her up again in the fall since she still did not want to go.

Be careful though, sometimes they saying that they don't want to really means that their just being a little lazy and a little encouragement will get them back into a positive mindset. My daughter said she didn't want to do piano but with encouragement, she passed through the slump. Now, she really enjoys learning and practicing new pieces.

Another positive reason to keep children in activities is that it prevents them from spending the time on the computer or watching too much television. Also, they will not be saying "I'm Bored".

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