Great Futures Start Here

How After-School Activities Improve A Child’s Self-Esteem?

After-school activities not only help in channeling your kids’ creativity but also helps to improve their self-esteem. The feeling of confidence is imperative for everyone to face the upcoming tests of the life. If you are wondering about the ways to boost your kid’s morale, letting him/her participate in additional events may help a lot. Read on to know how these activities help your kid to become tranquil and self-assured.

  • Find Hidden Talents – Enrolling your kids in after-school classes offers a chance to participate and try various activities. They may choose to engage in sports or academics at the same time. Whatever activity kids excel in, will help them realize their strengths.
  • Improve Academics – The tutoring programs offered along with the activities help kids perform better in their school. They do not hesitate to ask doubts from their tutors and become more adaptive. After doing their favorite activity, they are able to concentrate more on what is being taught and grasp the concepts easily.
  • Make New Friends - The after-school activities help children to meet other kids who share mutual interests. Some of the interactions develop into strong and lifelong friendships. Also, interacting with kids who share common mind set boosts the morale of your child.
  • Learn New Things – Participating in varied activities let kids explore and learn new things at the same time. For instance, participating in drama improves speaking and vocabulary skills, playing chess enhances strategy making abilities, painting invigorates creativity etc.
  • Handle Anger Issues – If a kid has anxiety or anger issues, it is important to keep his mind diverted and after-school activities are a great way to do so. These activities not only keep the kids occupied but also relaxes their mind.
  • Learn Importance Of Teamwork – The activities that require teamwork teach kids the significance of unity and cooperation. They learn how a single decision may impact the entire team. This instills in them an ability to take wise decisions in the toughest situations.
  • Brings More Positivity - When a kids feels good about themselves, they automatically drives away all the negativity. This helps them to realize their potential and improves overall all performance in every field. The fresh mind flourishes new ideas and give kids the confidence of turning them into reality.
We, at Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas, organize an array of after-school activities in Killeen, TX. To know more about the activities organized, visit us at 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541. For additional information, call at (254) 699 – 5808.

Digital Art Courseware For Kids

As the world is advancing at a fast pace, even art is going digital. Latest technology is being used to showcase creativity in its best form. Web designing, photo illustration, music technology etc. are some new fields which have gained popularity these days. They help to make kids proficient in computers and stay updated with advanced software.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas is a leading club that offers digital art courseware for kids. It consists of the following programs:  

  • Design Tech: Kids are taught to learn artistic concepts and create animated videos. They even learn graphic designing.
  • Photo Tech: Through this program, kids learn to capture high quality photographs. They use different types of software to edit pictures. Kids can also acquire the skill of applying image filters and layering.   
  • Music Tech: It is a great platform where kids are allowed to compose and record songs. They are also made to understand the music theory.
  • Movie Tech : Gaining a thorough knowledge of screenplay writing, filming and editing digital movies can be helpful for the kids and open the path to a successful career.
Benefits Of Digital Arts:

  • Explore new career options: Digital arts is a combination of traditional art skills and new media applications. It offers various career opportunities for kids as they can become animators, web designers, photographers, game developers, creative directors etc. based on the skills they possess.  They can even work in advertizing and multimedia firms. This can lead them to a bright future ahead.
  • Makes learning fun: Digital arts involve the use of various innovative techniques. Kids can experiment and explore various drawing as well as painting options.  This helps to enhance creativity and make learning a better experience for them.
  • Self-directed learning: There are various software which allows the kids to check their mistakes and easily rectify them. This helps them in becoming self-directed learners and accomplish their goals.  
Digital arts is a great platform to gain knowledge and hone various skills. It enhances the imagination and helps the kids to think out of the box which makes them stand out of the crowd. This improves their self-confidence and self-esteem.

If you want to make your kid a digital artist, you can consider enrolling him to Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas. For more information about the kids activities offered by the club, call at (254) 699 – 5808 or visit 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541.

Homework Help- A Guide For Parents

Homework takes learning beyond the classrooms and is a great way to help the kids remember as well as understand the concepts taught in school. It teaches them to be responsible and gives them a chance to enhance their creativity. Parents can also provide homework help to their kids. They can analyze the quality of assignments given by the teachers and can guide their kid to do it accordingly.

Listed below are a number of ways through which parents can help their kids with their homework:

Create An Environment That Is Conducive To Learning
Parents should make sure that there are no distractions when the kid is doing his homework. Television and computer should either be switched off or the volume should be kept low. The room should be well lit and comfortable.

Prepare And Maintain A Schedule
It is important for kids to devote a fixed amount of time to their homework. Parents can help them to prepare a schedule to make sure they give ample time to self study, homework as well as leisure.

Tutoring Programs
In case you are unable to provide homework help to your child, you can enroll him in a tutoring program. The tutors will help him with homework and clear his doubts. They also provide the required guidance to understand important concepts in a better way.

Encourage Him To Be Creative
Parents should encourage their kid to be creative with his writing assignments. Provide guidance wherever needed but do not pour him with ideas. Make it a point to clear all the doubts and proofread assignments of your child. In case he makes a mistake, be patient and correct him so that he does not repeat it again.

Provide Him With The Required Supplies
To develop interest in homework, provide the child with all the required stationary. If there is a special assignment that needs him to buy things, try to accompany the child to the store.

Treat Him With Rewards And Appreciation
If the child completes homework on his own, it is important for the parents to acknowledge his efforts. Treat him with his favorite dinner and appreciate his efforts in front of the family to motivate him.

Keep In Touch With The Teacher
Parents who are actively involved in their child’s assignments know which areas need more focus. If there are certain concepts that he finds difficult to understand, parents can contact the teachers and discuss ways to help him.
It is necessary for parents to understand that homework is meant to benefit the child. Let him bring out his own imagination and creativity. It is necessary for the child to learn from his homework and not feel discouraged when faced with doubts.

We, at Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas, organize tutoring programs for kids in Killeen, TX. For more information, you can call us at (254) 699 – 5808.

Drama Classes- Benefits For Kids

Schools emphasize on a child’s ability to learn, read and write. There is no doubt that these basic skills are important, but communication skills must be given equal importance. Some children have the natural gift of being outspoken, whereas others may require a fairly good amount of appreciation and practice to develop their speech skills.

Being good at communication helps to make new friends, stand out in the crowd and become the teachers’ favorite. These reasons are enough to validate why drama classes are so important for kids with or without effective communication skills.

Drama teaches kids to speak clearly, loudly and with confidence. It also makes them more expressive and confident. They learn to maintain eye contact while speaking, instead of displaying those nervous mannerisms like looking at their feet or scratching their head.

Discussed below are some of the techniques which kids can learn through drama classes:

  • Use of tongue twisters and raps. The drama teachers know how to encourage clear diction. They make use of these warm up exercises to improve kids’ speech delivery.
  • How you say it matters too. To train the kids to be firm while speaking, certain games or discussions are included ‘in-between’ practice. These games help the kid to keep his opinion without any hesitation.
  • Role play. Drama requires kids to enact situations they have never faced before. This gives them experience and equips them for the life outside the school.

These techniques pour-in a number of benefits for kids engaged with drama. Some of the benefits have been discussed below:

  • Freedom of self-expression. Drama is a blend of facial expressions, voice modulation and body language. Kids can benefit by taking these skills beyond stage and using them in general communication. Ability to express is an art and kids learn this art profusely with drama.
  • Drama gives wings to your kid’s imagination. While portraying a character on stage, the kid’s imagination plays a huge role. It adds depth to a role and helps the child to perform better. This increases his creativity and helps him to perform better.
  • Confidence. There is no doubt that performing on stage is a confidence booster. Bringing out the emotions, delivering the dialogues with finesse and receiving applauds is enough to feel confident.
  • Team work. Drama helps to develop team spirit. Introvert kids can also face the audience better through drama. They can make new friends, have a bigger social circle and learn how to respect by working with elders and more talented people.
All in all, drama is a fun activity which helps to bring out hidden talents and also makes you popular!

We, at Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas, organize TNT DramaMatters Afterschool, a drama education program for kids of all age groups. For more information, call us at (254) 699 – 5808.

Basketball: Health Benefits For Kids

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the USA and offers a myriad of benefits of the children. As a result, many parents are enrolling their kids in the basketball leagues offered by the kids clubs in Texas. Getting your child learn basketball skills at a young age not only develops his basic coordination and team-building skills, but also lay the foundation for a physically active life. The continuous shooting, dribbling, passing and rebounding are a great form of exercise and help the players stay fit.

Given below are some of the health benefits kids can have by enrolling in a basketball league:

Builds Endurance

Basketball is a high intensity sport that can help the players to build endurance and improve cardiovascular health. The running, jumping and dribbling are a good workout for the entire body, which boosts aerobic capacity, energy levels as well as metabolism. Endurance building also keeps the heart healthy and reduce the risk of heart problems later in life.

Improves Strength And Motor Skills

Complete motor control is essential to pass and shoot the ball with precision during the game.  Repetitive practice enables the children to gain more control over their muscle forces and body movements. Strength training exercises are aimed at building deltoids, trapezii, neck, lower back and core muscles so that the player can defend himself when the opponent pushes against him. Shooting and running increase leg strength while dribbling builds up the muscles of hand, arm as well as wrist.

Burns Calories

Playing basketball gives you a high impact aerobics exercise that helps to burn a lot of calories. All the running, jumping and lateral movements involved in the game are a fun way to promote physical activity as well as keep childhood obesity at bay. An hour of basketball can burn around 600 to 900 calories, depending upon the weight of the child and intensity of the game.

Increases Ankle Stability

The game involves several movements that work to increase the strength of the lower limbs. Pivoting, multi-directional running, twisting, back and forth movements etc. employ the muscles, tendons, ligaments as well as other structures surrounding the ankle joint. When kids participate in basketball leagues, they are trained to maintain the stability of the ankle to maintain balance during all these movements. It not only increases joint stability but also reduces the risk of injuries.  

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas organizes different basketball leagues for kids of 2nd to 6th grade. For details about the enrollment procedure, you can call at (254) 699 – 5808 or visit the kids club at 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541. 

Educational Activities For Kids In Central Texas

Enrolling your kids in educational programs can not only sharpen their cognitive abilities but also develop their interest in academics. These activities instill a sense of self-actualization and help them become better learners.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas organizes various educational activities for kids of different age groups. These activities aim at improving their academic and practical skills. The staff at the club identifies the kids’ strengths as well as weaknesses and suggest ways to work upon the weak areas.

Listed below are various educational activities organized by the kids club in Texas:

  • Project Learn: This program aims at boosting the academic performance of kids aged between 6 and 18 years. It includes activities such as leisure reading, writing, homework help etc.  Kids can also discuss all their doubts and queries with the staff. Stimulating games such as scrabble are also organized to improve cognitive abilities of kids.   
  • Goals For Graduation: Kids of age group 6-15 years are taught to set achievable goals. Their daily action plans are linked to their future aspirations. The staff creates specific strategies to help the kids achieve their short and long term goals.     
  • Power Hour: Kids aged between 6 and 16 years can participate in this program. The staff provides complete tutoring and homework help to improve their academic grades. They also motivate the kids to keep a track of their progress so that they become self-directed learners.
  • Career Launch: The club encourages kids aged between 13 and 18 years of age to explore their hidden skills. This can help them make an informed decision regarding their career. The staff also provides practical job hunting advice to kids.
  • Junior Staff Career Development: In this program, various activities are organized to help the kids of age group 11-18 years explore the career options in youth and human services. Field trips to other service organizations prepare the youth to become a volunteer leader.  
  • Skill Tech: This program helps the kids aged between 6 and 18 years to learn practical computer skills. The staff uses innovative and animated tutorials to enhance networking skills. They help the kids become well-acquainted with word processing, spread sheets and other productivity software.
  • Money Matters: The club aims at developing basic money management skills among children of age group 13-18 years. The staff members provide effective tips to manage a checking account, create a budget as well as save and invest for college.  They also help the kids learn about starting a small business.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas is a renowned child care center in Killeen, TX organizing a wide range of educational activities for kids. For more information, you can call at (254) 699 - 5808 or visit 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541.

Why Enroll Your Kids In Art Activities

Art activities play an important role in developing the cognitive skills and creative abilities of kids. School education mainly focuses on improving academic grades but it is equally essential to let the kids explore their artistic side and develop their personality. There are numerous kids clubs in Texas that offer engaging art classes for kids in different age groups.

Given below are some benefits of enrolling your kids in art activities:

  • Develops motor skills: Painting and drawing promote the development of fine motor skills in children. Motor skills are crucial for daily activities such as reading, writing, tying shoelaces, buttoning or unbuttoning the shirt, etc. Therefore, engaging your child in art activities will polish his motor skills which will help him in various other activities as well.
  • Enhances Math skills: When children are involved in art activities, they get introduced to new concepts such as sizes, shapes and angles. Learning about these is helpful in improving mathematics skills. Children discover how to make comparisons between various objects, memorize numbers and even learn the basics of spatial reasoning.
  • Improves problem-solving abilities: Art activities help children develop problem-solving abilities. They also promote the improvement of sensory awareness and manual agility. This is because different art activities involve observing certain things and then recreating them. Combining imagination with reality encourages out-of-the-box thinking which is essential for overall development of the child.
  • Relieves stress: The pressure of academics in school can sometimes become overbearing for kids and it is important to give them a break from the monotony of books. Indulging in art activities frees their mind from the burden of studies. They get to experience creative freedom in an art class which may not be possible when they are at school.
  • Perfect way to utilize free time: It is best to get kids enrolled in art activities in a kids club if you want to channelize their energy in a positive direction. This is one of the best ways to put their free time to use and contribute to their overall personality development. Various art programs are offered by kids clubs in Texas and you can choose the one according to your child’s interest.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas organizes various art programs for kids aged between 6 and 18 years. For details about enrollment, you can call at (254) 699 – 5808 or visit the club at 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541.

Camping Safety Tips For Kids In Texas

Camping is a great outdoor activity that every child must be exposed to. However, being outdoors also comes with several risks that should be taken care to ensure the safety of the children. A little bit of planning and carefulness can go a long way in making sure that kids have a wonderful camping experience. .

Following are some safety tips if your kids are going camping in Texas:

  • Keep safe drinking water: Unsafe water is the most common cause of diseases like Diarrhea, stomach infection or bloating. Make sure your child carries bottled drinking water or iodine tablets to purify water. Kids must also be taught not to waste water.
  • Keep ample food supplies: Considering the age group of the fellow campers, let your child carry enough supplies of food along. Bread, fruits, nutrition bars, candies etc. are portable stuff which can be kept in extra quantities. Easy to cook/prepare food items are good options while camping as kids may feel hungry in short time spells due to all the playing and adventure activities.
  • Appropriate clothing and footwear: Instruct the kids to carry sufficient clothes along as they tend to get dirty, wet or soiled during camping. Keep an eye on the weather forecast so you can instruct them to carry extra layers, caps, gloves etc. Shoes must also be suitable to walk on rough terrains as uncomfortable footwear will ruin their experience.
  • Plan for natural conditions: Kids should not go camping without the proper gear to tackle unexpected rains, heat or storms. Enough raincoats, caps, umbrellas, sleeping bags, water proof tents must be kept so that kids are not left out in the open in case of any emergency.
  • Lay down rules: The rules at the camp site must be laid down well in advance. The kids must be told that they must never leave the group’s site or enter anyone else’s. A whistle may be provided to them so they can use it whenever required. First aid tips must also be handed out in advance.
  • Education about surroundings: Another way to keep kids safe is to let them know where they are going. Teach them about poisonous plants or dangerous animals that may be present in the surroundings. Also tell them about the significance of keeping their natural surroundings clean by not littering anywhere.
Keep the above tips in mind to ensure a memorable camping experience for children. Too much stress on the negatives will deflate their spirits. Prepare them mentally to face challenges while also taking necessary precautions to have a good time.

We, at Boys & Girls Clubs Of Central Texas, organize camping and other recreational activities for kids. For details, you can call at (254) 699-5808 or visit 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541.  

Reasons To Enroll Your Child In Music Lessons

Encouraging children to develop interest in music provides numerous benefits for their overall development. Although they can choose to enroll in various sports and recreational activities after school, music lessons are also a good option that can be added to the list. There are many kids clubs in Texas that offer music classes for children of all age groups.

Listed below are some ways music lessons can be beneficial for kids:

  • Improves academic performance: Music lessons can help your child improve his mathematical skills. Knowledge of beat, rhythm and scales hone their ability to divide as well as calculate fractions. He also gets introduced to the scientific principles of physics such as harmonic and sympathetic vibrations when playing certain musical instruments.
  • Augments motor skills: Music helps in enhancing the motor skills in children. These skills are crucial for them to carry out a number of daily activities such as catching a ball while playing, reading, drawing, tying shoelaces, writing etc. The motor skills continue to develop if the child continues playing a musical instrument as he keeps on growing.
  • Encourages kids to achieve goals: Having perfection in playing a musical instrument is a long-term achievement that requires systematic goal-setting. Therefore, taking music lessons helps children in setting goals for themselves and work relentlessly to achieve them.
  • Instills a sense of teamwork: When a child joins music classes in a kids club, he gets to communicate and interact with his peers. The instructor may create small groups of children and ask them to create a melody collectively. This makes students work as a team and helps in instilling social skills in them. They realize the value of contributing as an individual for the success of the entire team.
  • Inculcates patience: Learning to play a musical instrument requires a great deal of patience and perseverance. The child needs to master the art of holding the instrument properly and positioning his body perfectly. When kids start playing an instrument, they have to go through months of rigorous practice sessions before they can become a pro at it. This, in turn, helps the child develop patience and self-discipline.
We, at Boys & Girls Clubs Of Central Texas organize summer music camp for teens aged 13 to 18 years. For details about enrollment, you can call us at (254) 699 – 5808 or visit the club at 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541.