Do you want your child to spend less time with a smartphone? Do you dream of him being fully developed? Offer him additional activities where he can not only spend time usefully, but also make new friends.
In this article we will tell you:
- How to choose a club that is interesting for a child?
- What should an ideal additional education teacher be like?
- How to choose the right children's sports section?
- How to choose a vocal studio or music school?
- How to choose a theater group?
- How to choose a children's creativity club?
- Where can I send my child to dance?
- How to choose children's computer courses?
- 5 unusual children's courses, clubs and sections.
Activities give children the opportunity to organize their leisure time in an interesting way, learn new things and increase self-esteem.
How to choose a club that is interesting for a child?
The best way to find out what classes to enroll your child in is to talk to him about this topic and find out what classes he likes and what club he would like to enroll in.
Watch your child. Take a closer look at the talent he has. Some children concentrate well in classes and quickly remember information, others can sit and draw for hours, while others require constant movement.
Remember what games your child likes to play with you or with his peers.
When choosing individual or group lessons, know that in the first, all the attention is paid to one child, so he better understands and remembers the material. In group classes, children strive to imitate each other. If all students manage to complete tasks well, then the weak child will follow others.
The price of individual lessons is 2-3 times higher than group lessons.
Don't limit your child. Offer him different activities. Let him try sports, playing an instrument, drawing, and theater.
Take him to a family master class or ask him how his first football lesson went. This way you can easily understand whether the child is interested and whether he is worth enrolling in a club or section.
At the stage of searching and determining the child’s interests, there is nothing wrong with him leaving the club after two classes.
General criteria by which you can easily choose a suitable club for your child:
- Convenience.
- Conditions of education. Group classes are more aimed at developing the emotional-volitional sphere, and individual classes are more aimed at logical thinking. For example, in a choir a child will learn not only to listen and sing with other children, but also to overcome the fear of public speaking. In individual singing lessons, he will better understand how to beautifully and correctly produce sounds.
- Price. This is not only the cost of the classes themselves, but also the purchase of equipment, uniforms or musical instruments.
Memo to parents: what you need to know before visiting a sports club
First of all, sport should be useful, interesting and accessible. That's why:
- Before your first classes, undergo a medical examination. The pediatrician will assess the baby’s general well-being, tell you how she is developing physically and what needs to be emphasized. Often these are tips to strengthen your posture. Learn about non-recommended exercises. Take the necessary certificates for the institution; without them, you may not be allowed to participate in swimming pool classes or group clubs.
- Develop a routine. If a girl goes to kindergarten, preschool or school, take care of an even load. If you have several hobbies, you shouldn’t put them on top of each other, otherwise you may not have any strength left for anything. Spread your workouts on different days.
- Meet the coaching staff, ask for instructor certificates and diplomas. Having an incompetent teacher next to your child can lead to injury or simply an ineffective, uninteresting time.
- Buy sportswear and equipment. A number of clubs require expensive equipment - for cycling, equestrian sports, snowboarding, cross-country skiing. In addition to the main equipment, you need to purchase sportswear and shoes. If a girl has signed up for dancing or figure skating or gymnastics, then for performances she will need outfits that can be sewn to order or independently.
- Consider the financial side of the issue. Some workouts can be done with your family - running in the morning, skiing or skating, but visiting the section is paid monthly.
- Think about transport accessibility. If you have the opportunity to transport your daughter in your car, then calculate the distance and choose a route. If a schoolgirl travels by public transport herself, then she needs to look at the bus directions so that she does not have to travel with transfers or stand in traffic jams for a long time.
What should an ideal additional education teacher be like?
The choice of the teacher determines whether the child wants to attend the club and develop in the chosen direction. Talk to the teacher in person. Come to a trial lesson with your child and observe the atmosphere in the lesson.
The teacher must be active and good-natured, and be able to win over every student. He is responsible not only for the skills that the child will receive, but also for the atmosphere in the children's team.
The teacher must be sensitive, be able to prevent conflicts between children, and talk to the child if he has problems with other children or if something is not working out for him.
Find out about the teacher's education, it should correspond to the occupation profile.
Judo
Many argue that this sport is more suitable for boys. However, this is a misconception. Classes will help you learn not only dexterity. The girl will be able to stand up for herself in any situation, without fear of street hooligans.
Sports for girls
Without a doubt, each sport has its own merits. A girl can play volleyball, athletics, football, and so on. It is important that the activities are enjoyable.
Under no circumstances should you impose your opinion on your child or force him to attend those sports clubs that you think the baby needs. Otherwise, she will hate sports in general, and in the future this may negatively affect not only her health, but also her life in general. Sports should bring joy, otherwise the girl will prefer computer games and television programs to a jump rope or ball. Good luck and make the right choice to you!
How to choose the right children's sports section?
Sports sections are necessary for everyone. By sending your child to play sports at an early age, you will help him have a good figure and physical fitness in the future.
Sports sections are most relevant for very active children who need to throw out their energy.
Every sport has health contraindications.
The school provides spacious, clean classrooms and the necessary sports equipment. Parents buy individual uniforms and comfortable shoes.
Don't force your child to go to class if he doesn't want to. Forget about your ambitions that you dreamed of raising a famous figure skater or football player.
What matters is what your child wants. Don't blackmail him by promising that if he doesn't study, you won't talk to him or won't buy him a toy.
If your child cries after class, talk to him. Find out what he doesn't like or what he's afraid of. It may be painful for him to do some exercises. Explain that this will not always be the case, soon he will learn to do everything with ease and without pain.
If a child responds to your questions with impenetrable partisan silence, talk to the teacher, maybe he will explain the reason for the tears.
Has your child been returning from classes in tears for a month now? Put them aside for a while so that the refusal to learn does not spread to all areas. Go to a child psychologist to understand the reason for this behavior.
Contraindications to martial arts classes for girls
The first thing you should do when choosing a section for your child is to visit a pediatrician for advice. In almost any sports school it is necessary to present a medical certificate about the child’s health status. It is not recommended to engage in martial arts for the following diseases:
- congenital heart disease, vegetative-vascular dystonia, arrhythmia and other diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- diseases of the spine and musculoskeletal system;
- diseases of the respiratory system;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- pathologies or dysfunctions of the genitourinary system;
- poor eyesight;
- traumatic brain injuries.
How to choose a vocal studio or music school?
If a child hums songs all day long, is interested in dad's guitar, or sings along to music videos, then he is definitely interested in music.
It is possible to understand whether a child has hearing and ability for music only through practical classes. Send your child to study at a public school or private studio.
The advantage of state music schools is free education. But they do not have a personal approach to the child, there is only an established program, assessments and exams.
Private studios try to maintain a child’s interest in music. The teacher develops an individual lesson plan based on the student’s abilities.
There are courses in music lessons in small groups. They are divided according to the age and initial skills of the students to create a general training program.
At the state music school, students study from 6 to 8 years. If it is not yet clear to you how interested your child is in music, sign him up for short courses. Then, together with the teacher and the child, decide how to further develop in the musical direction.
When choosing vocals or playing an instrument, listen to your child. Let him choose what interests him.
For the purity of the experiment, sign up your child for both classes, and then let him determine the appropriate direction.
Age limits
Starting from the age of three, the baby should already be taught to exercise in order to improve health and direct activity in the right direction. But from the age of 5-6, you can already think about a professional career if the child strives for this. Preschool children are put into groups with special coaching staff - instructors are trained to properly communicate with little athletes, from a psychological point of view, they find good motivation and teach them not to lose heart in case of failure.
But if you are not trying to raise a future Olympic champion, but are simply deciding which sport to choose for the general development of a girl aged 7 to 12-15, in order to keep her occupied after school, then the choice is very large. It’s never too late to start training, but the schoolgirl must have a desire and interest, then the training will be most effective. The optimal periods for different directions are:
- For rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating, water skiing, diving, tennis and table tennis, acrobatics and dancing - from 6 years.
- For alpine skiing, badminton, basketball and football - from 7 years.
- For hockey, biathlon, athletics, baseball or rounders - from 8 years.
- For cycling, equestrian sports, fencing and various types of wrestling - from 9 years.
- Rowing and shooting, including archery – from 10 years.
Sports or pop dancing is suitable for any age.
How to choose a theater group?
If your child loves to perform in front of family, sing and dance, then theater courses will help reveal his talents. If a child is shy, then creative activities will give him self-confidence.
Acting classes teach children to adapt in society, relieve tension and improve speech. By studying in such a circle, you can quickly understand whether a child has leadership qualities.
You can take your child to film courses or a theater club from the age of 3-5. This will eliminate difficulties in communication, learn to express yourself and make friends with peers.
The theater course curriculum includes:
1. Acting trainings and exercises , where they develop attention, fantasy and imagination. Your child will be able to pretend to be anyone, from a snowflake to the president.
2. Training on stage speech. During the lessons, your child will learn not only to speak beautifully, but will also be able to express his emotions with intonation, gestures and facial expressions.
3. Acting technique. Here children learn to play other people's roles. In life, this will help you be liberated, successful and self-confident.
Classes at film schools are much more varied. In addition to acting, this also includes creating films: coming up with ideas, writing scripts, filming and editing.
After the course, your child will delight you with his first performance with his participation or read you his first play.
The theater school should create a friendly environment, and the teacher should pay attention to each student, allowing children to reveal their talents.
How to choose a children's creativity club?
Do you notice your child’s perseverance and meticulousness in homework? Give it to an art studio, a beading or clay modeling circle.
Such activities not only develop fine motor skills, but also taste, imagination and spatial thinking. Children will get acquainted with artistic movements, the works of great artists and receive cultural development.
In painting courses, the private school provides free paints, brushes, paper and other materials for classes.
Choose the course you like and pay for each lesson separately or buy a subscription.
Art lessons are not the limit. If the training is successful, enroll your child in a film editing workshop, where he will learn how to create cartoons and short film stories.
Where can I send my child to dance?
Dancing is movement. All kids love movement. Therefore, without a doubt, send your child to dance.
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of dance styles in advance:
- folk dances are based on a plot and teach you to work in a team;
- Latin Americans provide the opportunity to present oneself beautifully, develop attentiveness and balance;
- oriental dancing makes a girl graceful, flexible and self-confident;
- hip-hop and breakdancing give children good sports training and the opportunity to improvise;
- ballet serves as the basis for all dances and develops ideal posture and gait.
Very young children are involved in activities through animation and games. First, simple etude dances are learned, with minimal choreography content - clapping, stomping, turns, round dances.
If your child is naughty before or after dancing, ask him why he behaves this way. Perhaps other guys tease him or the teacher is too strict with him. Ask the teacher to be more attentive to the child and resolve conflicts among the children immediately in class.
What to look for when choosing classes
Choosing the right direction depends on many factors:
- age;
- inclinations and hobbies;
- physique;
- goals pursued;
- health conditions;
- temperament.
It is also important to consider:
- cost of education;
- the location of the club and the opportunity to visit it regularly;
- training schedule;
- student body and teaching staff;
- costs for additional inventory.
How to choose children's computer courses?
Computer courses will teach your child to use the Internet safely, create simple websites, and make their own presentations and videos.
Types of computer courses:
- Basic computer science course. The children are introduced to the structure of a computer, taught to quickly type and work in office programs Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote. Special attention is paid to the safety of using the Internet. Thanks to the courses, the child will be able to speak at school scientific and practical conferences and make cool presentations for lessons.
- Programming. Programs are selected depending on the age of the child. Interactive lessons keep students from getting bored. The courses will teach your child to create different projects, programs, websites for study and for themselves.
- Robotics. At the robotics club, children can invent, model, create and program their own robot.
- Computer game development course. Suitable for guys 14-17 years old. In classes, children learn 3D modeling and try themselves in designing 2D and 3D games.
The school must provide each student with a safe place to work during classes. For training, only modern computer devices and comfortable chairs are used. Classes are held with breaks to relieve eye strain.
Contraindication for computer courses is high myopia.
Sports for school children
School age is the time to get involved in sports. Many schools have sections where children can study with classmates. There are also clubs for children in schoolchildren’s homes, where classes are held completely free of charge. In addition, schoolchildren can go to a section from specialized sports schools, where they prepare for admission to sports boarding schools.
The choice of sports for school-age children is truly great. Already in the first grade, children can practice at a professional level, preparing for a sports career. Thanks to the national program “Sport is the norm of life,” it is planned to build dozens of sports facilities throughout the country until 2024 to attract schoolchildren to a healthy lifestyle.
