Top benefits of extra curricular activities for children

According to the research conducted by Claudette Christison (from Brandon University), extra-curricular activities play a major positive role in a kid’s academic, social, and character development. However, in major parts of the world, a child’s success is still measured based on their academic achievements only. Research shows that the focus of parents on enrolling their kids in extracurricular activities is still low. 

Though extracurricular activities are gaining popularity and opening new career doors for kids, we still have a very long way to go.

It's a proven fact that along with quality education, extra-curricular activities are also necessary for the holistic development of kids. It is instrumental to enhance the 3 C’s i.e. Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Confidence in a child!

Through this blog, we are going to explore how extra-curricular activities shape a child's life and help in their overall development ranging from academic success and their personality development. So, without any further ado, let's begin. 

a) Improves Social Skills!

A research paper published on the website of Frontiers states that participation in extracurricular activities improves well-being, confidence, self-worth, and overall social skills in kids.

During the tender age of childhood, kids must acquire quality social skills by enrolling in extra-curricular activities.

Here's how extra-curricular activities help in the development of social skills: 

i) Extra-curricular activities not only teach teamwork to children but also help them to learn the art of conversing with people and valuing contrasting opinions. This helps them to evolve a broader and more positive perspective toward life.

ii) We all have contrasting ideals and beliefs. So, there can be times when interactions with people lead to conflicts. Resolving conflicts counts as a vital component of excellent social skills because it’s important to make kids more sensible and mature toward one another.

Co-curricular activities like Group Speaking and Public Speaking not only teach kids to become influential but also more understanding toward others. These are necessary traits to resolve conflicts.

iii) Extra-curricular activities teach cooperation to kids. In the case of co-curricular activities involving a team or a group, the strategies of kids do not remain limited to their self-interests. They learn to amend and update their plans for the greater good of their group.

Such activities help the kids to develop care and mutual respect for their group members. Additionally, this builds trust within a group or team. 

b) Helpful in discovering passion and boosting creativity!

Activities like Chess, Public Speaking, Guitar, Keyboard, and Arts help children formulate new strategies & think out of the box to come up with new moves, talking points, tunes, etc. This practice greatly boosts their creativity & problem-solving skills. 

Furthermore, something wonderful happens when a bunch of creative people works together. Their combined creativity gives birth to beautiful masterpieces. For instance, there would hardly be a person who hasn’t heard the name of the legendary rock band ‘The Beatles’.

Life is a process of self-discovery. Kids should be provided with a friendly & open environment that helps them to explore themselves to the best possibilities.

Extra-curricular activities are a great way for children to discover their strengths and weaknesses and unleash their true potential. These passions can also translate into excellent career opportunities in the future!

But it should be remembered that everything takes time. The same is the case when kids decide to venture to find their passions. So, kids need to get their hands dirty with different co-curricular activities. Eventually, they will discover their hidden talents. 

c) Better Academic Performance & Time Management Skills

Highlighting the importance of extracurricular activities for students, the research conducted by Nikki Wilson (from the University of Wisconsin-Stout) states that extra-curricular activities have a huge positive impact on the academic performance of kids like achieving good grades, better test scores & acquiring better absorption of knowledge. 

The research also states that extra-curricular activities are responsible to develop leadership & teamwork qualities, and time management skills which are necessary traits for career growth.

Participation in such activities requires children to create a timetable, prioritize their tests and competitions, and manage time effectively. This promotes strategic planning and even improves productivity. In the long term, effective time management is an important skill required in leaders in top positions! 

Various extra-curricular activities like Chess and Public Speaking help in improving memory which helps children retain knowledge efficiently.  

d) Helps in University Admissions and the Job market

Though they do not solely determine the admission of a candidate to any given university, the role of extra-curricular activities for students holds high importance in their admission process. 

Participation in extra-curricular activities not only shows a candidate's qualities such as teamwork, leadership, and social skills but also showcases their ability to adapt and shine in unfamiliar and complex environments. These skills are highly valuable in the eyes of the admission committee.  

The fact backing up this statement is that extra-curricular activities account for ~40% of a student’s application in countries such as the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

The advantages of co-curricular activities are not limited to only childhood. They play a huge role in building careers as well. 

Kids are the leaders of tomorrow. Extra-curricular activities develop numerous valuable skills in them like teamwork, ownership, public speaking & many more. These are the must-have skills required by organizations and are actively tested in the interview process through adaptive tests, group discussions, and other activities. 

Showing participation and leadership positions or achievements in extra-curricular activities also becomes a USP in the resumé that can help your children differentiate themselves from the large pool of applicants!

Pursue certified extra-curricular activities with TalentGum!

Now, with all that said, we extend our hand to take you and your child on a beautiful journey full of holistic learning and fun! At TalentGum, we offer you a wide range of online extra-curricular courses such as online keyboard classes, online art and craft classes and many more that are expertly curated and customized for children in the age group of 4-14 years.

Remember: Your child's satisfaction is our motivation! That's why our team has chosen the best teaching faculty from India’s top 5% talent pool and included the most practical learning materials in our courses to ensure visible progress in your child’s journey with us.

Are you ready? Check it out yourself! Attend a FREE DEMO for any online course on our platform where we provide a detailed assessment of your child, cover some unique concepts from our regular course, and allow you to have a 1:1 discussion with our subject expert to understand our curriculum.

Take a glance at our best-selling online courses and book a free demo- HERE