Fun And Inexpensive After-School Activities For The Kids |
 |
 |
 |
| News - Parenting |
|
Many parents depend on computers and television to baby sit the kids until they can get home from work, which means these latchkey kids are developing a number of problems, such as childhood obesity, juvenile crime and antisocial behavior. Getting your children involved with after-school activities is an excellent way to keep them busy and supervised until you get home. Leagues and private instruction can be pricey, but you can cut costs by working with other parents and starting after school programs of your own. In this article, we'll show you how to save money while giving your child new experiences.
For many parents, finding ways to keep the children busy after school is a real problem. With schools cutting back on extracurricular activities and fees for private instruction always on the rise, many families simply cannot afford organized sports and music lessons. However, there are many other options for families on a budget. With a little help from your community, you can form your own after school club. In this article, we've got some great tips for fun and educational after-school activities. After-school activities like a sport or dance class are very important to get kids up and moving. Some children only get one or two hours of physical exercise a week and that's not enough for a growing body. If a sports league is too expensive for your family, then encourage your children to play outside as much as possible. Penny In A Cup is a fun and energetic game to play with a group of friends. Split up into teams and give each person a penny to place between his/her knees. On signal, one player from each team will walk to a cup and without using their hands, and attempt to drop the penny in. If the player makes it in on the first attempt, he/she must tag the next person in line then sit down. If the player does not make the penny in the cup on the first attempt, then he/she must tag the next player and go to the end of the line and try again. Each player must keep trying until he/she gets their penny in the cup. The team with everyone sitting first wins. Arts and kids crafts can introduce children to a wide range of subjects like art, music, science and nature. You'll be able to find countless ideas on the Internet. To teach your kids how to tell time, have them make clock-face place mats with moving pipe cleaner parts. All you need is some construction paper, a marker, and some pipe cleaners. Want to share your love of gardening? Have the kids grow a bean sprout in a paper cup. Or, combine cooking and science by making homemade ice cream! Filling kids with nutritious food is as important to child development as making sure they get enough physical activity. However, getting them to eat what's good for them can be mission impossible! It helps to have your children participate in building a healthy menu for the family. Homemade granola bars are a healthy treat and making them teaches kids how to follow a recipe and introduces them to measurements. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of quick cooking rolled oats, a can of sweetened condensed milk, 1 cup of wheat germ, 3/4 cup natural bran, 1/2 cup of oat bran and 1/2 cup of melted margarine. If you wish, you can also add a handful of raisins, nuts, shredded coconut, or your favorite dried fruit. For a sweeter treat, add chocolate chips. Press the mixture into a metal baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree over for about 15-20 minutes. When it's cool, cut it into bars and serve with milk or juice. After-school activities are more than a way to keep your kids occupied; it teaches them skills that they may not learn at school, it gives them the chance to socialize with other children, and it gives you something to do as a family. Giving them the experience of being exposed to new things broadens their horizons and will help in perpetuating student achievement. About the Author: Frank Cole Barbara writes for a number of websites about family and parenting. If you enjoyed this article you might want to read some of her recent posts about the value of a bedwetting alarm such as the Malem bedwetting alarm for children with a bedwetting problem. |
Copyright © 2008 premium-sale.com | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy .