Extracurricular activities are essential for the children aged 6-10 as they begin to connect more with society, make friends, and enjoy being a part of a group. At this age, children can learn the skills they will need to become successful adults in their society (Levine & Munsch, 2016).
Most of the activities in my community related to sports are: basketball, football, soccer, and swimming clubs that have groups for children. Moreover, these facilities are highly supported by the government as the country aims to have a healthy young generation. Sports might impact the other developmental milestones of a child, such as learning more about self, and growth of independence. Being a part of a sports club allows children to learn to take the initiative, carry through, and achieve goals (Pomohaci & Sopa, 2017).
There are also some well-developed art and musical activities in my community, as many people share their hobbies by teaching others to draw, play, sing, and so on. Children aged 6-10 might be interested in such activities because their physical and cognitive development lets them consciously do advanced actions, such as playing a musical instrument. Furthermore, Meadows (2019) states that there is the “presence of a stronger relationship between music- and art-related activities and student GPAs than acrosports and martial arts programs and GPA” (p.2).
The activities to join might depend on a child’s Intelligence Quotient (IQ) or on skills he is already good at. I would recommend the school-aged children choose both of the sports and art activities because together, they will help a child develop the physical, cognitive, and social skills and keep them busy and interested in discovering more beyond the average academic program.
References
Levine, L. E., & Munsch, J. (2016). Child development from infancy to adolescence. Sage Publications.
Meadows, A. (2019). The impact of participation in extracurricular activities on elementary school students. Journal of Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research, 11(1), 2.
Pomohaci, M., & Sopa, I. S. (2017). Extracurricular sport activities and their importance in children socialization and integration process. Scientific Bulletin, 22(1), 46-59. Web.