Extracurricular Activities for Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

As a parent to a young child, you may be wondering what extracurricular activities are appropriate for your kindergartner. There are a variety of after-school activities that your child can take part in that are complimentary to their age group and promote physical and mental wellness. You want to engage your child in activities that are fun and challenging, but don't go beyond their developmental capabilities.

You might have entertained the idea of sending your young child to summer camp but don't know where to start. Choosing a camp isn't all that difficult and it's a great way for your child to continue learning and build social skills, even after school lets out.

When your child is preschool or kindergarten age, they are beginning to master many basic movements and it may be the right time for you to put those movements to use in extracurricular activities. Giving your child a healthy play outlet will allow them to stay active and burn off some of that energy. Prepare yourself for a good night's sleep when you begin to involve your child in sports and playful activities.

One common challenge that working parents face is what to do with their kids after the school day lets out. Even for parents that stay home with their kids, coming up with great activities after the school day is over can be a tough task. Little ones in the preschool or kindergarten often have relatively short attention spans, but can still benefit from lessons, clubs, and other social activities.

We've all heard the saying which is the title of this article, and most of us have also said something similar to our kids. Kids need to learn to take the good with the bad and realize when one person wins a game, another loses. When our kids were younger we all "let" them win a game or two, just to avoid the massive tantrum that could follow. Yes, we knew it was wrong but we went ahead and did it anyway. Now that your kids are a little older it's time to start teaching them an important fact about life; they will lose at something during some point in their life. Learning to accept winning and losing at an early age in life will help them succeed in the future.

Many kids look forward to summer vacation because it signals a break from school, from homework, and from the routines that seem to drag on forever while school is in session. The truth, though, is that preschoolers and kindergarteners need to continue to exercise their minds and reinforce the lessons they have learned during the "off-season." Like an athlete in training, kids should constantly be challenging their minds and learning new skills.

We all want our children to have an active and healthy lifestyle but sometimes we can go a little overboard. It's hard to realize when what seems like a friendly team sport can begin to put pressure on our kids. Have you ever yelled at your children from the sidelines? Does practice for sports take precedent over other "family time" activities? Has your child ever asked you to quit a sport or activity but you pushed them to continue? If so, your child might be feeling pressure when it's time to get off the sidelines and participate. Competition usually involves winning and losing¸ so believe it or not, your child may feel like they let down not only themselves by losing a game, but you as well.

We all dread the moment when our child is about to lose a game and the inevitable temper tantrum that will surely ensue. It certainly doesn't matter what activity it is either, Monopoly, a soccer game, hide and seek, etc.