Benefits and Dangers of Extracurricular Activities in Elementary Grades

Generally speaking, kids are full of energy and need outlets to release it frequently. But without exception, every single child is full of potential and similarly in need of the proper outlets to encourage and develop that. This may include elements of artistic, academic, athletic, or otherwise creative potential. While many programs built in to the regular school day—such as physical education, art, music, science fairs, and technology classes—may provide opportunities for children to discover and develop some of their areas of greatest interest and talent, the nature and context of such programs cannot offer the boundlessness under which developing creativity and budding talent thrives. Here is where afterschool extracurriculars come into play. But before zealously signing up or recommending children for every available program, parents ought to consider a few important questions.

Who is Making the Decision?

Whether or not a child is the one verbalizing his/her choice in extracurricular activities, it is important to dig a little deeper to discover the motivation behind that choice. Is the child experiencing pressure from siblings, peers, teachers, or parents to sign up for a certain activity? Perhaps this young boy or girl has been told countless times, “You are the gifted musician of the family and your sister is the jock.” While comments like these are almost always intended to encourage, they work undercover to label kids, ultimately and inadvertently pressuring them to live up to others’ expectations. A young person may very well arrive at the same conclusion him/herself one day anyway, but being weighed down with expectations to be great at something in particular has the potential to stifle someone who might otherwise seek out and develop an entirely different trade. So, bottom line? Ask questions and figure out what the child him/herself is excited about doing.

Are We Leaving Plenty of Time for Rest, Friends, Family, and Homework?

Elementary students are energetic and, as stated before, need opportunities to freely release energy in the form of activity and/or creativity. However, they also require more rest and downtime than do most adults. Additionally, social and family interaction is crucial to emotional and relational development. For these reasons, and of course to allow for ample relaxed (not rushed) homework time, be careful not to fill up a child’s schedule with afterschool activities so that he/she becomes spread thin and misses out on restful time at home.

What If My Child Shows No Special Interest in Afterschool Activities?

For some families, the challenge is not toning down extracurricular involvement, but stepping into it at all. Some students may be shy, homebodies, or for a number of reasons, lack the confidence or self-assurance that they are especially good at anything. Here are several tips for encouraging but not pressuring children to try an enrichment activity:

• Affirm strengths you recognize in them
• Sign them up with a friend.
• Prompt them to make the choice by asking what their favorite activity at school is lately and finding an extracurricular activity that correlates.
• Ask them which programs most interest them, if even a little, and what about each of those makes them hesitant. Address each point thoughtfully.

Ultimately, do not force a child into anything. Instead, you may get creative in developing your own afterschool activity that would cater to your student’s interests and comfort level. Talk with other parents and teachers to involve more children, making it a similarly beneficial social activity to those offered by the school and community.

If My Child Struggles in School, Won’t an Additional Activity Distract Him/Her from Getting On-Track Academically?

On the contrary, a fun and pleasurable outlet that your child can look forward to will likely contribute to better focus and academic success. When appropriate, afterschool activities may be used as incentive for students to complete and do well on their schoolwork. A child may be motivated to know that if she demonstrates during the soccer season that she can complete all of her homework and maintain good grades, then she will be able to choose another afterschool activity for the following season. 

Whether your elementary student gets overly excited for extracurricular activities or is hesitant to get involved in something new, schools and communities offer something after school hours for just about every personality and interest. It is the job of every parent to help their children find a healthy level of involvement for them, which for everyone should be at least some. The key is to be sure your kids are having fun in whatever activities they are involved!