Guest Post ~ 5 Great Extracurricular Activities for Homeschool Students

Extracurricular activities are not only great for providing your kids with fun breaks from the rigors of academic life, but they're also a great opportunity for you to get connected with other likeminded parents. Each extracurricular activity gives your children a chance to make friends for life and learn valuable life lessons in the process. While getting involved in too many can become overwhelming for a homeschool parent (particularly when you've got multiple children involved in different things), you can certainly get your kids plugged in to one or two organizations locally. Here are five great extracurricular activities your kids might be interested in.

1.) Scouting.

Not only will your child learn important skills like swimming, cooking and First Aid, but they'll also have opportunities to go on camping trips and other special adventure outings. Scouting also encourages children to volunteer and fosters good character traits. With so many chapters across the nation, there's sure to be one close by. You can use the Local Council Locator to find the troop nearest you.

2.) Little League.

From T-ball to soccer to softball, Little League is a great opportunity to get your child involved in a team sport from a young age. It's also serves as a P.E. class of sorts to keep your child active and healthy. Many parents say team sports help improve young children's coordination as well. Because these teams play seasonally, you and your child get breaks between sports.

3.) Volunteering.

You might have to get creative with this one, but there are numerous opportunities for your child to volunteer in your local community. Growing up, my mother organized a group called the Joy Kids that included me and several of my friends. We would go visit residents of our local nursing homes every Tuesday night in conjunction with a ministry set up at our church. We got to bring smiles to the faces of the residents through song. Other volunteer projects could include neighborhood clean-ups, conducting food and supply drives for homeless shelters and food banks, letting your children help out with Meals on Wheels delivery or simply helping out at the local library.

4.) Taking up an instrument or voice lessons.

If your child has a penchant for music, lessons are a great way of cultivating that interest. Your child can pick up an instrument like the guitar, piano or clarinet, or take voice lessons. For a fun group experience, see if your town has a community children's choir or children's orchestra.

5.) American Heritage Girls.

A growing number of Christian homeschool parents are opting to get their young girls connected with American Heritage Girls because of the nonprofit group's mission to "build women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country." Like the Boy Scouts, American Heritage Girls provides opportunities for children to participate in character building activities and have fun in the outdoors.

These are just a few of the more prevalent extracurricular activities for homeschoolers. What extracurricular activities are your kids involved in?

By-line:

Alisa Gilbert, regularly writes on the topics of bachelors degree.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: alisagilbert599@gmail.com.