Developing Life Skills through Extracurricular Activities
Learning is an intrinsic and ongoing part of a child’s personality and overall development. The curricular activities provide the necessary foundation of knowledge and awareness; the extracurricular activities enable the child to develop confidence to put forth their ideas and imagination in wider perspective in front of the world. Diverse activities, competitions and presentations help children develop a wider outlook of the real world situations and prepare them with lessons in empathy, critical and creative thinking, self awareness, and effective communication. For instance a student taking part in the elocution contest, gets to improves his/her oratory skill that includes vocabulary, general awareness, effective communication with appropriate expressions and actions while reducing stage-fear and help develop leadership skills. It is pertinent therefore for all types of schools whether it is online or campus-based school to introduce and promote such activities to help in holistic and disciplined grooming and development of the learner.
Extracurricular activities are a way to explore and investigate their passions, hone their capabilities, and impart vital life skills that will come handy to them beyond the classroom. Extracurricular activities such as elocution music, sports, theatre, community services, and such allow the student to delve into the experience, feel the joy and purpose in them. They may take it up as hobbyy or can even choose it to chart a career path. With exposure to extracurricular activities, the child develops a sense of oneness with the community. It fosters a sense of responsibility and take them to a position where they can take charge of their narratives.
Participating in activities with peers can bring in solace and encouragement for students who may feel detached from their class fellows or the school environment due to personal preferences. During the practice and participation in extracurricular activities, the students develop meaningful associations with coaches/mentors or colleagues who then can serve as guiding lights or act as role models when need arises.
Extracurricular activities promote essential life skills among students and nurture them to become, resilient, humble, patient, and accommodating individuals. Participation in school team sports inculcates team spirit, coordination ability, leadership skill, interpersonal skills, and the display of better behavioral skills with fellow teammates. They become empathetic and considerate toward others. Sports make them alert and teach them to lose and win gracefully.
The importance of time management and disciplined life can also be learned from participation in extracurricular activities. Shuffling between academics and extracurricular commitments teaches students to effectively manage their time and concentrate on timely delivery. In the process, they learn the art of prioritizing tasks and can wisely allocate time to life activities and other responsibilities.
A healthy lifestyle can also be maintained by continuously participating in physical activities such as gymnastics, football cricket, lawn Tennis, and dance. It fosters healthy habits and ensures physical fitness right from a very tender age. These activities also take care of the emotional and psychological well-being and keep the child away from any mental feebleness and depression.
Thus, to conclude I would say these extracurricular opportunities are not just additional engagements for students but rather a tool for exposure to various life situations, possibility of having fun, and enjoyment along with having an educational experience. It fosters the idea of learning while playing and enriches individual students’ behavior. Thus the right mix of Curricular and extracurricular go a long way in creating a wholesome learning experience to young learners.
