The Importance of Extra Curricular Activities in School

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!" ~Anonymous

Isn't this age-old proverb rightly put? A student's school days are some of the best days of his life. These days can never be complete without a little bit of sporty excitement, a bit of adventure and the crazy strokes of a painting class.

 Some of the best talents around the world, attribute their extra curricular activities as the roots of their academic and career success. If you are eager to know the secret of their success, then you should definitely read my article.

It is humanly impossible to be fully energetic with a single activity all through the day. Nowadays, the educational curriculum is vast and ever-expanding. This can create a lot of mental and physical stress as well as a mental block to take up a study routine day in and day out.

Activities like sports, music, arts, etc., expose students to a variety of lighter activities that help let go the mental tension and stress of studying for a short period of time. In activities like sports, there is known to be a high rush of adrenaline which soothes the strained body even as it experiences physical exertion.

Schooling often tends to be sedentary in nature. The load of school schedule and heaps of homework often keeps students glued to their desks. Young children need a lot of physical activity to keep them physically fit.

These activities help curtail tendencies of obesity and health related issues amongst young children while improving the child's immunity. Also, when students are engaged in outdoor activities, they are prone to receive sufficient quantity of Vitamin D which is essential for their physical growth and development.

There is no better lesson than to learn the art of balancing studies and work along with other activities. Opting for multiple responsibilities from a young age creates an acute sense of time management as well. These skills accumulate over a period of time and mold the student's mind for a brighter future.

Studies do have the capacity to improve a student's skills. However, when students are actually exposed to new and variety of activities at a very young age, they may develop their own taste for the activity and thus, parents as well as teachers can search for student's hidden likings and talents.

Most of the extra curricular activities like sports, debating, etc., can never be completed without the involvement of a lot of team members. When exposed to such teaming with like minds, there is seen to be an active exchange of creative ideas and the ability to work together as a team.

This creates a sense of belonging, a sense of loyalty towards the team, and development of sporting spirit. Friendships thus formed, have often survived for a lifetime.

Activities like public speech, social service, sports develop a student's interpersonal skills so as help them be the masters of communication in their adult life. Crucial arts such as listening skills, leadership skills, stage confidence, negotiating skills, oratory skills and logical reasoning get developed in the students from a very young age.

Exposure to activities like social service and volunteering helps students understand true social problems since a very young age. This is known to stir the humane side of students creating a sense of social responsibility and social justice in these young minds.

Students might be guided by their teachers to help senior citizens and young helpless children by organizing social visits to old ages homes and orphanages respectively. Students with previous experience in social work have reported that they feel an acute sense of owing some of their precious time and energy to the welfare of the less advantaged people.

Bookish knowledge can never be complete without its actual application. Schools stress that students must engage themselves in lots of extra activities for which they are awarded grades. Such work experience goes a long way into shaping the student's career.

The nurturing of a liking for these activities from a young age, may encourage these students to take up dual careers in their adult lives. e.g. - A student who had taken up painting as part of her extra curricular activity since early age, may balance her life between a professional career and painting as an alternate career during her adult life.

Surely, there has never been a better opportunity for young children to get acquainted with so many great qualities at the same time. Parents may need to do some research to find the best school for their children. Look for schools with wide number of extra curricular activity options.

Parents and teachers need to take extra pains to encourage students to take up some activities. There might be some setbacks till the child finds a hobby to his or her liking. But once the connection is made with the right hobby, then there is no temptation to turn back!