Extra curricular Activities for age 3 and above
Created by Mansi Advait Bodas Updated on Aug 08, 2016
How to decide which activity at whivh age? My son is 3 and is active and regular eater. I want to add his knowledge and interest like swimming, singing, dance so his all parts of body start getting coordinated. Now I am confused which sports shall I select indoor or outdoor and any other suggestions please explain in detail?
| Aug 15, 2016
Hi Mansi, Your son is very small. So you need to take the following into consideration. 1. His attention span ; it is too less. 2. His ability to follow more than one instruction is still developing. So any class that follows strict rules or schedule may not be suitable for him. For any sports or art (performing or visual) class, look for classes that are specially designed for little ones. To learn any musical instrument, your child's dexterity, and motor skills are very important. So 5+ is an ideal age for learning musical instrument. There can be few exceptional cases where children show interest and start on their own at a very early age. If your child doesn't show much interest, it's better to wait for few more years instead of turning it into frustration. For vocal music, most teachers take them in at age 4 or 5 as the child should at least know counting to count the beats. the teachers also expect the child to have a better language skills. Swimming can be started at 3. But look for a kiddie pool and check if the instructor is trained / certified trainer to teach toddlers and whether they use step by step process from teaching bubbling on the water surface, breathing under water with head submerged in water, swimming with a float along with an adult, learning to paddle, breathing exercise etc. To learn skating, the child should be at least 4 (at least in india they dont take children below 4). you could also consider taking your child out to the park in your neighborhood for him to run around, cycle, climb the gym, swing on monkey bars, climb rope pyramid, play throw and catch with a ball to develop his gross motor skills and hand eye coordination. You can even make him walk on the edge of the pavement without losing his balance. It's a simple and good exercise to develop balance. similarly make him hop from one rock to another without putting the feet down on the floor. it helps in eye and foot ordination and balancing. Whatever activity you choose, go for it only when your child likes to do it. Hope this helps.
| Aug 08, 2016
Hi Mansi, here's a blog that may help you-https://www.parentune.com/parent-blog/7-skill-building-activities-to-introduce-your-child-to/728