Working with your child on education at home and encouraging them to take on and brush up on their skills will put them at an advantage. The more advanced their skills are, the quicker they can go forward with their learning. 

Even extra-curricular activities that are fun to them will be enhancing their skills. From swimming to arts and crafts, here are the best extracurricular activities to enhance your children’s skills. 

Swimming

Swimming is an important skill for anyone to have. The longer you wait to learn to swim, the more difficult it can be. Trying out swimming lessons for kids and getting them started at an early age will get them ahead of the game. 

Even as a baby, your child can learn to swim. The sooner you put them in the water, the sooner they will get used to it. 

They can use this skill on holiday, as a means of exercise, and also in an emergency. Being able to swim is a skill that might not be needed very often but when it is needed, it comes in handy.

Sports

Speaking of sports, any type of sport is a great way to enhance your children’s skills. Whatever sport your child participates in, should it be football, volleyball, tennis, or basketball, it is encouraging them to reduce their screen time and interact with other children. It is a time for them to find their inner-competitiveness and make new friends. 

Likewise, playing sports enhances a child’s leadership and cooperation skills. Any sport will benefit their balance and cardiovascular abilities, which can reduce the risk of obesity and laziness. 

There are so many advantages to sports that all parents should consider. Whatever sport your child wishes to participate in, so be it. They will be able to become better leaders, socializers, and become more athletic.

Bedtime reading

Teaching your child to read at home is a great pastime that will enhance their reading abilities. The more that they read at home, the more advanced their reading skills will be. This will help them feel more comfortable in the classroom and excel quicker in their learning. 

It is common to read your child a bedtime story at a young age when they cannot read themselves. However, as the years go on, you will be able to get them to read along with you. Reading together will make it more fun and the child won’t even realize that you are essentially helping them learn.

Cooking

Similar to swimming, the longer you wait to teach your child how to cook, the more of a challenge it will become. 

Getting your children involved in cooking will enhance their tastebuds earlier, so they no longer moan about eating their greens. Likewise, cooking is a great hobby to have as it is an important life skill, develops a person into a more adventurous eater, and builds relationships. 

When your children cook, you should always supervise them. Cooking involves many dangerous hazards such as heat and sharp objects. Thus, always keep a watchful eye over your children when they are cooking. 

To get them started with cooking, you could ask them to help out in the kitchen. Simply getting them to whisk the mixture for a cake or passing the vegetables to put into the hot pan is a starting point. They will soon become more comfortable and familiar with their surroundings and get keen to cook. 

You can encourage them to take greater interest in preparing food on a daily basis by asking them to make their own packed lunches for school, or even dedicate one night a week during which time your kids prepare their own dinner! Allowing them a little independence will be great for their confidence, and it gives them the opportunity to make a few mistakes which can then be learnt from under safe conditions. Don’t worry if you don’t have any easy recipes that your kids can follow, as platforms like sweet home digest are filled to the brim with family friendly food ideas that you can make the most of to keep your children busy. Stock your cupboards with ingredients and your children will be able to whip up a storm in the kitchen at any time, for any reason! 

Arts and crafts

Every child loves to unleash their inner-creativity and what better way than with arts and crafts? Participating in arts and crafts activities can enhance a child’s self-esteem, help them become better decision-makers, and encourages self-expression. 

Here are some fun arts and crafts activities that any child can enjoy to enhance their life skills:

  • Pottery: Pottery is a fun activity for children to reduce stress and become better decision-makers. Making pottery involves quick thinking. Joining a pottery making workshop can give your child the opportunity to enhance their learning skills and concentration.
  • Drawing: drawing is a great activity to enhance a child’s motor and planning skills. Before you draw, you have to think about what they want to draw. The more they learn to plan, the better their organization skills will be. 
  • Painting: similar to drawing, painting is another great stress-busting activity. If your child has a lot of energy, they can release it through painting. They can go wild with creation and color, which promotes emotional growth and cognitive skills. 

Dance

Dance is a fun activity for any child to enjoy. They can either do it for fun or take it seriously with competitions. 

Dance is an activity for children to release their inner emotions and personality. Whatever style they choose, it might reflect part of their personality. 

Dancing will boost your child’s athleticism, improve their confidence, and make them develop great flexibility. 

Volunteering

Wherever you live, there are likely to be lots of volunteering activities. Getting your child involved with volunteering will help them become a more giving and kinder person. The act of volunteering enhances a child’s passion to help others whilst also building their social skills. 

Whichever voluntary activity they take part in, they will get the opportunity to meet new people. They will meet like-minded kind people that can help enhance their team management skills and ensure that they continue to mingle with like-minded individuals.

Languages 

Being able to speak new languages is a great skill to have. The sooner your child gets started with learning a language, the sooner they will become comfortable with it. Starting them early will mean that they might have more room in life to learn multiple languages. 

They will also open up their mind to new cultures and histories. They will feel confident traveling and speaking to new people. 

Use these extra-curricular activities to help your child improve their life skills. Simply getting them involved with dance or language classes will help them find their inner-confidence, help them become more social, and enhance their cognitive skills.