What’s the Purpose of After School Programs?
How many after-school programs does your child’s school run? We can pick and choose an after-school program for every day of the week at our kid’s Pre Primary School.
At the beginning of the year, children get to participate in one session of each program free of charge so that they can choose which ones they want to participate in for the term or the year.
We get a wad of leaflets at the beginning of the year but we don’t get to sit in on these free sessions and at this stage, my child is too young to really give me a full run-down. Have you ever found yourself wondering about the purpose of these programs? #PurposeAfterSchoolPrograms
I recently cancelled my child’s after school Programs except for Kids Gym (where he does Ninja Zone classes) because all my son wants to do all afternoon is play with his LEGO.
Which is why I fully support an After School Program that centres around LEGO play. What a brilliant concept.
Here’s an expert guest post on the Purpose and Benefits of After School Programs contributed by Bricks4Kids, whose motto is “We Learn, We Build, We Play with Lego Bricks“.
Benefits of After School Programs for Kids
Kids are a family’s little charmers. A child who is taught good morals and standards during their teenage years will never forget these values and will always respect their elders.
Children learn many of their good habits at school but what they do after school is just as important. Social skills play a huge role in the after-school environment. A child develops social skills, leadership skills, emotional intelligence and many other good qualities in after-school activities.
After school activities play an important role in a child’s life and children should have after-school programs for overall development. The after-school programs provide benefits to kids as well as parents.
Many schools have adopted the concept of LEGO after-school programs. One hour of LEGO after school activity brings out many architectural, technological and engineering concepts of a child’s mind.
Top 5 Benefits of an After School Program
After school programs help in the overall development of children. There are many benefits of after-school activities, and nowadays many schools are adopting this concept. The benefits of afterschool programs for children are:
1. Communication
In the classroom, kids are listeners – they listen to what the teacher says. However, when they are in a non-academic environment they enjoy the atmosphere.
After school activities give children a chance to communicate with their fellow mates. Kids often work together to complete a task.
Students pair up for a task or make a group to finish a project, all the time they talk with each other to attain a common goal. The Bricks4 Kidz Atlanta program is amazing for kids as they listen, speak, and work together to reach a goal.
2. Interpersonal Skills
Working with different kids helps in the development of interpersonal skills. In after-school programs, a child encounters friends who come from different backgrounds and ages. They can group up with children from other schools in different areas. Unexpected meetings like this help children develop social skills and connect with new people.
3. Stronger Sense of Self
Whenever a child completes a task, they get a confidence boost and they are pumped for the next activity. Each time they face a challenge, they develop more self-confidence. This habit not only helps them cross every hurdle, but they also learn to tackle different situations.
4. Application of Knowledge
After school programs help kids utilize the knowledge they learn there, in other places. Implementing acquired knowledge is one of the best practices for any child to master. This quality always helps build the future of the child.
5. Make Learning Enjoyable
An after-school program can prove to be the best learning platform. The children focus on playing games and think of solutions to problems in the activity they are given. This brain exercise is a great idea as it involves all the children, thinking together. As they are having fun with the work at hand, they learn a lot without even realising they are learning.
As you have read the benefits of afterschool programs, finalizing an after-school program is probably not going to be tough for you.
Indulge them into a devoted platform that provides the best learning atmosphere for children. Such places help your child become a better person, learn more, be empathetic and sensible.
What After School Programs are Your Children Enjoying?
What do your kids like to do in the afternoons after school? Do you enrol them in After School Programs or do you prefer to give them time for free play at home or with their friends?
Do you think your children learn soft skills, interpersonal skills and life skills like problem-solving and teamwork at school or after school?
Please add your voice to the conversation below.
