Steemit Engagement Challenge / S16/W4 - Children Vs Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are essential for the proper physical and mental health of both adults and children. But we are looking into its impact on children in this context.

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Extracurricular activities can be defined as events outside the academic schedules/activities/curriculum. These activities can be athletics, camping, travelling, arts, competitions and so on.

There is a saying that "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy", this applies to all humans and most importantly to children who are in their prime developmental stage. Growing into a smart and vibrant child goes beyond academics, it takes more.

Actively participating in extracurricular activities balances the life of kids, giving them time to unwind before they hit on academic activities again. For instance, a kid who participates in football games stands the chance to exercise his/her body which helps brain development and enhances his/her usefulness in other things, and at the same, balancing mental health.

_{Children playing ball | Pixabay}

Taking myself as an example when I was a university boy, we had many of our mates during the examination period who completely abstained from playing football but my case was reversed, and I still took part. It helps me balance my mental health even though I need to study, I've got to do it or else my mind may be far away from the book I was reading because my body and brain are used to a certain playtime.

The effect of extracurricular activities on the lives of children can't be overemphasized because it's a necessity for physical and mental growth.

Children generally are beings that love to participate in extracurricular activities and only a few may not be interested (maybe only a small percentage are reluctant to take part in such activities).

I don't see forcing children to participate in extracurricular activities as a valid way to get them in. The work lies heavily in the hands of the parents and it all starts from when they are little, teach them to do certain activities, join them to do it together and they grow up to adopt it like it's inbuilt.

_{Parent and Child bonding | Pixabay}

Forcing a child to do something may not yield a natural result rather it turns out to be harsh treatment and every parent should avoid such practices.

In a section earlier, I highlighted that children's participation in extracurricular activities is a necessity. It contributes largely to their adaption to the world they reside in.

Extracurricular activities contribute to their physical health, staying fit like a normal healthy child should be and making them mentally stable. These activities that come in the form of competitions show them their winning capacity among their peers and teach them how to improve their performance subsequently.

In contrast to parents who force their children to participate in extracurricular activities, some prevent their children from participating in any activity outside the academic scheme. There should be awareness for parents in the latter category because they don't know what harm they are doing to innocent kids.

It will be hard to conclude which extracurricular activity is the best out of the numerous activities out there. Choosing the best may be based on one's personal preference. Let's take a list of some below-

• Athletics - Playing football, handball, basketball, tennis, long and high jump, racing and so on.

• Programming - Children can also spend time outside the school scheme to write programs that enhance their brain and may help solve problems around the house or in the world.

• Arts - Children can engage in different art events at leisure to improve their imaginative skills and get better at it.

• Camping - Camping with other children can be fun and relax kids' mental health and give them a sense of belonging in society.

• Competition - Participating in any competition to weigh their self-worth and improve on what they can do subsequently.

• Social gathering - This teaches them the customs of the people around them.

In conclusion, the impressive growth of children both physically and mentally may not be automatic, parents have a huge role to play such that their children's hobbies are identified at the early stage and give their support to see them succeed in it.

We should look beyond the school curriculum, the outside world we often ignore teaches better skills that are required to live a better life than school teaches in some cases. May we breed successful children. It would be a pleasure to invite @ninapenda, @irawandedy and @inspiracion to participate in this contest.