Where education does not have to stay limited within the boundaries of text-books and classroom discussion, extra-curricular activities in schools can be a fresh breath of air. Especially in pre-schools where the fine motor skills and concentration power

Extra-curricular  activities and their importance

Extra-curricular activities hold a lot of importance in the growing years of a child. This is why activities that require physical energy have been an integral part of the curriculum in pre-schools. In this article, we will take you through a bunch of importance of extra-curricular activities in pre-schools. Let’s begin!

Fine motor skills: Fine motor skills refer to the hand-eye co-ordination of a child. It is very important as the entire physical activity that a human being does in his/her lifetime is based on his/her motor skills. When a child learns to throw a ball and keep it inside a basket, then his hand is in synchronization with his ability to see the place of the basket.

Improved physical fitness: It is another advantage of extra-curricular activities for not just children but everyone for that matter. When they run, jump, or even crawl, their muscles are moving and strengthening them to do more physical tasks. The more they walk and move their muscles, the better for their overall development. When the body is not in movement, then the muscles tend to lose 10 to 15% of their strength every week.

Fit body equals fit mind: This is a no-brainer. It is pretty evident that those who continuously get involved in physical activities live a longer, healthier life with better understanding and clarity of mind. When the body is in frequent movement, then the muscles won’t be tensed which means better quality of sleep and hence resulting in a fit mind.

Improved cognitive skills: There is a very interesting teaching method (among many) in montessori and that is “sorting”. In this method, few beads of different colours are kept together and the child has to sort out the beads of two different colours in two different bowls. This activity helps the child to develop the problem solving and thinking capacity. He knows how to differentiate between colours and how he can separate the two colours. Another example is the “blocks”. They simply try to make different things out of the same blocks again and again which shows their ability to stretch their mind and bring new ideas into existence.

Better understanding of their environment: Playing various sports like football, running and things like audio-visuals help them to have a better understanding of their surroundings. Activities like music and dancing can be really helpful for their physical as well as mental health. Dancing helps to keep them physically fit whereas music helps them to reduce stress and calm their mind. Playing any musical instrument helps to strengthen brain muscles as it helps to activate both sides of the brain. 

Colouring improves concentration: It is another important extra-curricular activity in pre-schools. A child learns to distinguish between colours and applies the same knowledge in his practical world. When a child is given to colour an apple, he makes sure that the apple looks realistic which is why he reaches out for red colour rather than a blue. Also, the child makes sure that his colouring doesn’t go out of the margin. This improves his concentration skills. 
Maintains discipline: There are certain rules and regulations in every sport. When a child is introduced to football for the first time, it is made sure that the child hits the ball with his foot. This is a simple act of letting him know that there are certain rules and regulations that the child has to abide by. As he grows up, you will hardly see him holding the ball in his hand and playing passing the parcel. So the moral of the story is he learns to maintain discipline from a very early age.

Learn useful skills: Extra-curricular activities help the children to learn new and helpful skills like running, art and craft, dancing and so on. These skills will help them to gain a sense of achievement and they can function better in their day to day lives. They can also use these skills in their everyday lives. They can be exposed to new company around them. They will also build team spirit as some of the games might require a team. 

These are some of the importance and advantages of having extra-curricular activities in pre-schools. Extra-curricular activities should not be undermined in pre-schools as they can really help the little minds develop in numerous ways. Hence, any kind of activity that helps the child to gain the benefits mentioned above should be a part of curriculum in pre-schools.