Picking the perfect extracurricular activity for your children this Easter
With 2022 now well underway and as we look forward to the Easter break, parents up and down the country will be starting to consider how to fill their child’s schedule during the two-week holiday. With so many options on the market, pinpointing an activity that will encourage your child to explore their passions and potentially pick up a new skill is no mean feat.
Code Ninjas, the coding brand for kids, believes that children from all backgrounds should have an equal and fair chance to pursue what they love – no matter their background of personal circumstances. From coding and technology to dance and music, here are our top five extracurricular activities that will inspire and stimulate all children.
Learn a new language
It might not be the first thing to be considered as an extracurricular activity, but we all know kids’ brains truly are like sponges. Opening the door for children to become bi-lingual - or more! - will give them an incredible skill which considerably sets them apart from the rest. In fact, did you know that if you can speak just Spanish and English, you can communicate with 80% of the entire world’s population3?
Not only this, but learning to appreciate the importance of other cultures through languages helps kids see the world in a different light as they emerge from a restrictive period. This can be particularly beneficial for younger children in particular, who potentially know very little about the world in which they are growing up.
Take up a sport
It comes as no surprise that sport is by far the most popular extra-curricular activity with nearly 50% of youth taking part in some capacity1. Team sports - including football, rugby and hockey - help energetic kids, in particular, blow off steam while getting fit and developing their leadership and teamwork skills. Individual sports, meanwhile, push children who have that competitive spark. As their confidence in themselves grows, their autonomy and drive will constantly be improved.
Learn an instrument or join a community music group
Music is the perfect activity for children with a creative spark, while learning confidence, extroversion and teamwork in a slightly alternative way. While nearly three times as many children from the highest income households take part in music activities (32%) compared to the lowest income households (11%), music is gradually becoming a widely accessible and appreciated medium for all children to find a voice2. And what better medium for all children to become involved without any worries of stigma? Music is an all-encompassing, culturally inclusive activity that teaches kids all about something that the whole world communicates with.
Join a dance group
Similar to music, dance is a great way for creative children to develop confidence in a slightly different way. What sets dance apart is the incredible physical benefits. Children get fitter through moving to rhythm, both in an ensemble and individually. As well as this, both their teamwork and individuality will be able to flourish through exploring different types of dance. Their discipline and personal drive will become second nature, but that vital creativity that inspires us will never leave. Dance truly is where art and imagination meets the demands of a top-level physical sport.
Hone your coding skills
Coding, impressively, combines all of the soft and hard skills that are being touched upon in the other opportunities. Code Ninjas allows children to learn a new language while expressing their creativity and imagination in a safe and freeing environment, while also developing soft skills such as teamwork, confidence and communication. Coding can even have physical benefits, as coordination will continue to be utilised and practised in their coding journey.
Sitting firmly as the best new opportunity for kids, Code Ninjas is the perfect way for children to learn through play in 2022. Every child has been unavoidably exposed to a significant amount technology through online learning, gaming and other mediums. But allowing kids to hone these skills in technology, coding and computing as they grow up in the digital age is the ideal way for them to become inspired by the things at their disposal.
For more information on the coding curriculum at Code Ninjas, visit https://www.codeninjas.co.uk/
1EU Interpreters, 2017, #Languages
2Social Mobility Commission, 2019, An Unequal Playing Field