If you're a professional teachers aide, education support officer or parent, the idea of after-school clubs will be very familiar to you. Whether talking about football practice or art club, as much as 93% of all 6-17-year-olds in Australia engage in afterschool activities. The great thing is these clubs offer much more than simply something to do for a child after school - as you'll find out by reading on.
What Is The Most Popular After-School Activity?
Well, there are countless clubs and activities in schools right across Australia, with the options varying from class to class and year to year. However, you'll find that sports and art feature prominently, as do martial arts, music, and foreign language learning. Believe it or not, there are afterschool options focused on STEM subjects for those children wanting to get ahead.
Why Is It Important To Join An After-School Activity?
As can be understood by taking before and after-school care courses, many benefits are associated with children participating in these activities. Instead of walking home and wasting a few hours before dinner, these clubs offer something above and beyond what they get during the usual day-to-day lessons.
Let's look now at five of the benefits that participation can bring.
Benefit #1 - Learning Whilst Having Fun
We all remember the regular school day, right? It can be strict and not at all relaxing - something that often gets in the way of learning. However, by engaging in before and after-school clubs, they get to learn new things in a relaxed atmosphere - even if the relaxed nature is only a perceived one.
During this time, they may pick up some new knowledge or even develop an interest in something they would have otherwise not encountered. Moreover, if what they're doing is physical - like sport - they'll burn off the stress of the school day, coming home happier and more balanced.
Benefit #2 - Developing Social Skills After School
As childcare courses teach, an essential part of a child's development is sociability - where they learn how to interact positively with those around them. During the normal school day, there are often barriers to this development, such as bullying and the need to get through the lesson content.
Afterschool clubs allow kids to get to know each other via a variety of group-based activities that involve teamwork. Other social skills like listening and responsibility can also get a boost in an environment that feels more relaxed and convivial.
Benefit #3 - Kids Can Get More Exercise
Often when school is finished for the day, kids simply spread out on the couch and watch their favourite cartoons, which might not be the healthiest course of action. However, when afterschool clubs are focused on sports, they get lots of great exercise in a fun environment.
Football, hockey, rugby, and tennis clubs offer exercise in a fun way - so kids get physical strengthening and stamina-building exertion that doesn't feel too much like hard work. It's got to be better than vegging out on the sofa until dinnertime, right?
Benefit #4 - Academic Support Can Be Provided
Another essential benefit of extracurricular activities for kids, as is covered when studying for a school-age child care course, is the fact that clubs can be centered around academia. Homework clubs offer a calm, relaxed place to complete set homework tasks before returning home.
Sometimes, the home is not the ideal place to work - for various reasons - and with time set aside like this, a child gets to finish the school day knowing that everything's done.
Benefit #5 - Kids Are Supervised Throughout
Last but by no means least, afterschool activities offer parents the reassurance that their kids are safe due to all clubs being supervised by either a teacher or another responsible adult. Clubs like these provide more structure, too, so it can have a positive impact on behavioural issues.
Essentially, suppose a child is mentally stimulated by art or enjoying all the positive benefits of exercise before they head home for the day. In that case, it's so much better than what they might get at child care - and it's usually much cheaper or, in some cases, free.
Train to Work In Education With OCA Online Study Courses
Working in education can be so rewarding, and at OCA, our CPD Endorsed online study courses represent the easiest way to train for the industry. Immersive, video-based training like our Before & After School Care Course can be enjoyed at a time and pace to suit you, offering a next-level learning experience that you can see for yourself by watching our Student Study Demo.
Every course in our vast library that covers more than 20 different professional sectors comes with 24/7 tutorial support and one-to-one mentoring, so you'll always have someone to turn to if you get stuck. To learn more about this or our flexible payment plans, head over to www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au, where you'll find everything you need to know.
Alternatively, if you'd be happier speaking to a team member before enrolment, we're happy to oblige! All you need to do is give us a call at 1300 611 404 or drop us an email at [email protected], and we'll reply without delay.
