Extracurricular Activities For Tweens

Pre-teens don’t want to do “kid stuff” anymore, but they aren’t adults either. Besides, they’re not even teenagers yet. So which extracurricular activities are best suited for preteens? Next, we’ll give you some ideas.

pre-adolescence

Establishing the starting point of pre-adolescence is difficult. In fact, it depends on each person, as maturation at a physiological level can happen sooner or later. Thus, there is no specific age to determine whether or not a child has entered pre-adolescence. However, in general terms, it is considered to be between 11 and 13 years old. 

In any case, it is a really important stage, before adolescence and leaving childhood behind. It is an intermediate phase and, as such, full of confusion and discoveries:

• The pre-teen still maintains many childish behaviors. However, on the other hand, it starts to claim its autonomy, which will be further accentuated in adolescence.
• At the same time, from a psychological point of view, the process of searching for one’s own identity within the social environment begins .
• Furthermore, the desires for autonomy lead them, little by little, to stop considering family references as absolute references. In fact, during childhood, the family nucleus was the nucleus that transmitted practically everything to the child. Now, as he progresses into adolescence, he will start looking for these references outside the home.
• On the other hand, you will begin to notice changes in your body.

Extracurricular Activities for Preteens

Because of all of this, when it comes to choosing extracurricular activities for preteens, we must take into account that they should:

• Increase your social and interaction skills.
• Develop your own personality.
• Foster values that will be essential during adolescence and, later, into adulthood.
• Develop body and mental self-knowledge.
• Don’t overload.

team sports

In addition to physical exercise itself, sport involves other types of benefits that are ideal for this phase. In fact, sport is essential for pre-teens since:

• Releases stress.
• It helps you understand and set boundaries.
• Teach to respect the rules.
• It helps to get to know the body better.
• Stimulates the spirit of overcoming difficulties and improves self-esteem.
• Team sports, especially, teach children to cooperate with others in pursuit of a common goal.

So, playing some team sport is a good idea as an extracurricular activity. Choices are varied. The pre-teen can choose, for example, between football, basketball, volleyball, etc. On the other hand, sport always brings benefits, even when it is practiced individually. Therefore, sports such as martial arts, gymnastics, athletics, among others, are also recommended.

intellectual activities

If the sport doesn’t appeal to them, there are other types of options. It is the intellectual activities that are equally beneficial to them in the short and long term. We talk about extracurricular activities such as:

• Chess.
• Languages.
• Reading courses.
• Computer classes.
• Robotics classes.

This type of activities especially favors the intellectual development of the pre-adolescent. However, although they are individual, he will be practicing them in a group. Thus, they also promote the development of bonds and social strategies with colleagues.

Extracurricular Activities for Artistic or Handcrafted Preteens

In addition to the physical and intellectual, there is another aspect, another type of intelligence to which we do not give as much importance as it deserves: the artistic. So, in a world governed by outcome, we forget that process and art also exist. That’s why it’s a great idea to enroll pre-teens in activities that develop their artistic ability.

Because art also offers countless health benefits. In fact, it is a form of expression that will help the pre-teen to get to know themselves better. Furthermore, it will promote your expression, your imagination and your fantasy through creation.

We are talking about classes or courses of:

• Ceramics.
• Painting.
• Creative writing.
• Sculpture.
• Theater.
• Handwork.
• Sewing.
• Kitchen.

This type of artistic or craft activities bring benefits such as:

• They help release stress through expression.
• They improve self-esteem by obtaining an exclusive result, the result of effort and the unique and personal self.
• Develop sensitivity.
• Increase concentration.
• They promote self-knowledge through artistic expression.

In conclusion

There are many recommended extracurricular activities for pre-teens. Especially at this stage, they need to start laying the groundwork for what their relationship to the world and to themselves will be like.

Also, never forget that they are “extra” activities. Therefore, we must not overload them. We must seek their enrichment through recreation and stimulation.