Why Should Kids Participate In Extra Co-Curricular Activities

Extra co-curricular activities play an important role in the development of a child’s personality. Children, who engage in any form of extra co-curricular activity, exhibit positive behavioral changes, better grades and social skills. These activities encourage them to discover their non-academic abilities through activities such as sports, music, dance, art, debate, etc. For the all-round development of a child, it is important to strike a balance between academics and out-of-class activities.

Let’s take a look at the different ways in which extra co-curricular activities benefit children:

• Better Grades: Kids, who are involved in co-curricular activities, show noticeable improvements in their grades. This is mainly due to other skills they take on from such activities. Some of these skills are time management, increased self-confidence and better organizational skills.
• Time Management Skills: Co-curricular activities teach children how to balance academic and non-academic activities. They learn the value of time and develop the discipline of allotting time for studies as well as co-curricular activities.
• Social Skills: Pursuing extracurricular activities provides children with opportunities of meeting new people. Their social skills are polished as they learn how to interact with people from different backgrounds. They also become open to looking at things from another point of view.
• Sense Of Responsibility: Extracurricular activities encourage kids to take on different roles. Undertaking such roles makes them responsible and accountable to others. 
• More Opportunities: Participating in extracurricular activities opens the gateway to academic opportunities in prestigious colleges and universities. Nowadays universities do consider the co-curricular involvement of a student & are interested in knowing what a child has accomplished outside the classroom. Students with track records of extracurricular activities get preference over those who have good grades but no activity record.
• Teach Team-Work: Success has never been achieved by a single person. There’s always a team of dedicated individuals behind every successful person. Encouraging a child to adopt an extracurricular activity will teach him invaluable lessons of how to work as a team for a common goal. Children learn the importance of helping, listening, sharing, caring and also develops healthy competition among themselves.
• Productive Utilization Of Free Time:  Enrolling your child in an extracurricular activity is the best way of utilizing his free time. These activities train your child to seek the outdoors or something productive when free. This boosts his physical, mental and emotional health. The activities provide a perfect base and makes him a happy, healthy, responsible and disciplined adult.