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Thirty years ago, kids used to spend their after-school time fishing, catching frogs or climbing trees. What seems like a heartbeat ago for us parents has become “ancient stuff” for our kids. Children nowadays have so many activity and enrichment choices open to them that parents are often at a loss. What do you choose?
This article helps answer some of the most commonly asked questions on enrichment activities.
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Enrichment refers to extracurricular classes or activities aimed at stimulating the mind and enhancing the development of children. Just like how we fortify our diet with nutritious ingredients, enrichment fortifies our children with mental agility, artistic appreciation, physical fitness etc.
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1. It supports and enhances academic learning
Children who attend enrichment activities are usually better able to connect together how the world functions. This is because they are taught to see things from different perspectives.
Says Mrs Munirah Abadi, mother of a kindergartener who attends music classes, “I am so amazed to see how much Nora has picked up! What completely astonishes me is that she actually applies the concepts she learns in her piano lesson to mastering math in kindergarten!”
2. It helps a child to discover where his/ her talent lies
“Jason has never been one for sitting down to do things. He’s just too fidgety. But he always feels he has accomplished something after his martial arts classes. He wants to compete in the SEA Games some day,” says proud father, Mr Michael Tam.
By finding out what they are good at, children who attend these classes are able to aspire to something bigger and more challenging in their lives.
3. Enhances social development
Lively group settings allow children to interact better with their peers and learn essential skills such as cooperation, compromise and teamwork.
4. Builds self-confidence
A well-chosen and interesting activity may bring out eloquence in a shy child or curb difficult behaviour, especially when the activity helps a child to feel good about him/ herself. Sports, gym and dance classes can also help kids to become more physically confident.
5. Enhances global awareness.
Through enrichment a child will have greater opportunities of mixing with teachers and children of different cultural backgrounds. The child may also be introduced to different cultures through the lesson content.
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This is obviously the biggest mind-boggler. On one hand there are just so many activities and providers to choose from. On the other, parents of young children are often unsure of where their child’s interest or talent lies.
The following suggestions may be useful:
- Consider your child’s general likes and dislikes
- Consider your child’s temperament—is he/ she an introvert or extrovert? Will his/ her shyness cause too much discomfort?
- Consider the location, fees and whether the timing fits your child’s schedule
- Don’t expect too much from your child. For example, although a child may seem musical, he/ she may not actually enjoy a structured piano or violin lesson
Ask if they offer trial lessons. This will help you to determine if your child likes the class and if he/ she is developmentally ready for it. |
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Enrichment activities can be over-stimulating for young children if not chosen carefully. For that reason, always pick an age-appropriate activity.
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1. Babies and toddlers
For this age group, classes are usually facilitated by child development specialists and conducted in a cheerful playgroup-like environment. Parents are usually required to participate to help the child adjust to the new environment and people. Don’t expect your child to jump in right away. It is common for one to three-year-olds to only want to hold on to a parent’s hand, simply observing the class from the sidelines. In general, these activities are very fun and encouraging, creating healthy self-esteem that in turn improves a child’s ability to learn.
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Activity |
How it helps |
Art and craft |
Nurtures creativity. Studies show that children who engage in artistic activities from a young age show better ability to master math, science and languages! |
Baby gym |
Improves muscle coordination, hand-eye coordination and gross-motor skills. Enhances flexibility and physical fitness. |
Music and movement |
Music is a universal language. It benefits children of all ages in various areas—from academic to social and emotional development. In these classes, children will learn to appreciate music in an informal, non-pressured environment. Sing-along songs help children to enhance verbal skills. Actions like clapping, wiggling and stomping improve general physical coordination. |
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2. Preschoolers and kindergartners
You should choose a slightly more challenging environment for your four to six-year-old. Children at this age are more confident and independent of their parents and require more invigorating activities to keep them from getting bored.
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Activity |
How it helps |
Art and craft/ pottery |
These classes teach children to manipulate different media while fine-tuning small muscles in the fingers and hands. Indirectly, your child also learns to focus better and to appreciate the beauty of the world around him/ her. |
Music |
With a little more in-depth instruction on instruments and vocal development, your child will gain a better understanding of rhythm, tempo and timing. A good class will also introduce variety by exposing children to various musical styles. |
Dance |
These classes are perfect for children who don’t want too much structure and yet prefer some sort of repetition. As children learn different dance styles, their coordination, flexibility and balance will also improve. |
| Tumbling/ gymnastics/ yoga |
Yoga is an excellent way to improve flexibility and concentration. For the very active child, tumbling, swimming and other sporting activities are a great way to use up all that energy while improving fitness. Apart from learning to protect themselves in martial arts lessons, students will also be taught discipline and self-control. Self-defence lessons for the very young are never aggressive so parents have little to worry about injuries and bruises. |
| Sports, e.g. swimming, tennis, athletics |
| Martial arts |
| Speech and/or drama |
Speech, public speaking and drama lessons help young minds to develop in leaps and bounds. Students become confident speakers and often go on to assume leadership positions in school. |
Academic
enrichment
e.g. math,
reading, science |
These classes help to supplement the knowledge your child receives in school. For some children, strengthening their mathematical or reading skills can have very far-reaching benefits. Science classes can fulfil a child’s innate curiosity about how the world around them functions. |
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Most parents learn about an activity through word of mouth. Ask other parents or visit parenting forums like the one on this website. You should also be able to find enrichment centres via the Internet and school or community centre bulletin boards.
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Resist the temptation to put a young child into more than two extracurricular classes a week, especially if he/ she is already attending a full day of school. This is called over-scheduling. Over-scheduling leaves your child with little time to rest or pursue important unstructured activities like free play, reading a storybook or simply listening to favourite music.
Signs of an over-scheduled child include:
- Easily tired
- Crankiness or stomach aches before a class begins
- Frequently asking to be absent from a class
- Practising mechanically or dreading a practise session for that class.
Begin with an hour of enrichment activities a week to gauge how well your child manages the schedule before adding on more activities.
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There are many parents who decide to wait till a child is older before choosing a class. This is completely fine. While enrichment classes provide young kids with lots of social and creative stimulus, they don’t guarantee academic achievement. You can create a similar environment at home by reading with your child, doing craft projects and or trying out simple science experiments. Remember, we did “ancient stuff” and turned out fine. Why shouldn’t our kids too?
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Possibly, the only disadvantage is if a child is frustrated by boredom or feels like he/ she doesn’t fit in. If this happens, forcing your child to carry on in that class can “kill” his/ her interest in that subject. The objective of enrichment is to serve as a positive learning experience. There is nothing wrong in stopping a class or looking for something else that is of more interest to your child.
There are many reasons why your child will like a particular enrichment activity. Don’t be surprised if the lesson content is not the main reason. Some kids love a class because of the friends they make there. Others adore their teachers or the fact that they get to wear cute accessories like a tutu or play with mock weapons. Don’t worry if your child feels that way. The best we can do is to provide our children with the opportunities to learn. How to learn is a skill each child discovers for him/ herself.
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