Summer and its free time are quickly becoming distant memories, but there’s no need to make the school year ALL about school. After school activities are a great way to continue the summer fun and help get the school juices pumping.
If your kids want to expand their interests or delve deeper into an existing passion, you’ll be sure to find a program to fit their interests with all of the options available in the DC Metro area.
Get Worldly
Absent the private jet for weekends abroad? How about a new vocabulary instead? Learning a new language has so many benefits for kids.
1. The younger they are, the easier the language will come to them.
2. Expand their perspective. Languages belong to their people. Learn about the people along with their verb conjugations.
3. Take advantage of our multicultural area. There are so many opportunities to use a second language in real life around DC.
4. A bit of a planning ahead- being bilingual in the workplace gives applicants a competitive edge.
Don’t Tell the Kids, but Tutor Time Counts
Tutoring is an after school tradition that may not hit the top of the kids’ wish lists, but has benefits for both you and the kids.
How to Know if a Tutor Could Help Your Child?
- Teacher or counselor recommendation
- Homework increasingly difficult
- Increased anxiety toward school work
- Loss of interest, resistance to doing work
How Does Tutoring Help?
- Personalized attention, customized to kid’s needs
- Provides review of skills missed during class
- Increases motivation and improves self esteem
- Encourages self-directed learning
Have you noticed we’re not talking about grades? Grades will improve, but GPA isn’t the key reason for seeking out tutoring help. Good tutors build kids’ confidence and inspire them. The grades will follow.
Get Them Physical
The more they move the better, especially after a school day of sitting. Have you checked out these most active of activities? There are so many inspiring options!
Soccer
Lacrosse
Basketball
Football
Baseball
Softball
Volleyball
Fencing
Dance
Track
Skating
Martial Arts
Hockey
Gymnastics
Swimming
Tennis
Creating Creative Creations
Artful activities are especially beneficial for kids with special needs. Letting off some after-school steam through artistic outlets can help our special kids express themselves and feel understood and accomplished.
Challenge: Staying on the Paper
Suggestion: Use a tray with raised edges as the work surface. Bonus: keeps the tools together as well.
Challenge: Can’t Get Started
Suggestion: Provide a sheet with “something” on it already- color, pattern, even picture cut outs. This overcomes the blank page stare.
Challenge: Resistant to New/Icky Textures
Suggestion: Start with gooey stuff in a Ziploc so it will be mess free while they’re getting used to it. For sticky issues (literally), start kids with foam peel off shapes.
Challenge: Attention Span
Suggestion: Try using reflective surfaces to keep kids engaged. They’ll watch themselves create a foil masterpiece. Get creative with the “studio”– outside, lying under a table Sistine Chapel style, or even using black lights.
