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Benefits of Character Development Activities for Students

27. September 2021 Administrator (0)
Character building activities refer to activities that foster morals and values in youngsters. These activities help youngsters develop emotional intelligence for handling all kinds of situations as they grow. A good way of engaging students in character development activities is to involve them in after-school activities that focus on instilling kindness, honesty, respect and empathy. Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas provide a variety of activities that focus on character development e.g. Goals for Growth, Keystone Clubs, Youth of the Year and more.

Listed below are ways in which character development activities benefit students:

  • Instill Values: As children grow and interact with different kinds of people in the society, they require certain values for healthy relationships. They need values like compassion, empathy, respect, honesty, discipline, etc. These can be taught through specific activities under the supervision of responsible adults. The Million Members, Million Hours of Services at Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas is a program dedicated to instilling values in youngsters.
  • Emotional Skills: The activities make youngsters resilient individuals by teaching them ways with which they can regulate their emotions during challenging situations. The after-school activities help them practice good judgment and resilience. They are also encouraged to exercise self control when it comes to risky behaviors amongst peers. Youngsters learn how to say no when required and also how to remain balanced in all kinds of situations.
  • Leadership Skills: The activities aim to strengthen their leadership skills, goal setting abilities and teamwork capabilities which are beneficial in personal and professional situations. The programs offered revolve around academic performance, community services, interpersonal skills and career preparation.  When students interact with other students at an after school club, they learn valuable life skills like conflict resolution, sharing, socializing and more.
  • Encourage Diversity: Exposing youngsters to activities that demand working together in a team towards a common goal teaches them the value of appreciating unique capabilities of one another. They develop respect for others and learn the importance of working together in spite of difference of opinions, backgrounds, cultures and more.
  • Better Academic Performance: Children who a part of after-school activities that emphasize good character are more likely to perform better academically. The reason for this is that the activities help them understand the value of hard work, commitment and dedication to a task at hand. They apply the same principles in their personal and academic lives which lead to positive results.
Know more about various programs for kids in Killeen, TX, contact Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas at 703 N 8th St. Killeen, TX – 76541 or call at 254-699-5808

Promoting Active Lifestyle Among Kids

26. August 2021 Administrator Blog (0)
An active lifestyle for kids is a precursor to a happy and healthy life as adults. The best way to incorporate healthy lifestyle habits in kids is to start early, preferably in school. This can be done by enrolling your child in an after school club where a variety of activities and programs are held for the overall development of children.

Listed below are some ways with which children can be encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle along with excelling at academics:

  • Join an After-School Club: An after-school club is the best place for your child to get active under the supervision of professionals. A good club is one that provides a fulfilling experience for young children and encourages them to follow their passion. Look for a club that provides programs related to academics, character, citizenship and healthy lifestyle habits.
  • Encourage Outdoor Activities: Encourage your child to spend more time outside away from screens and activities that are sedentary in nature. Consider making a schedule wherein you allocate some time to activities like swimming, voluntary work, playing in the park and so on. If you are consistent with this, it will soon become your child’s habit and he/she will seek the outdoors more often.
  • Social Interaction with Peers: Engage your child in activities that promote peer interaction and team spirit. For example, enroll your child in a favourite sport or hobby that involves other children. If your child is passionate about the activity, he/she will be zealous when undertaking it and in the process remain active in a healthy way.
  • Provide a Safe Environment: It is very important to provide a safe environment for children to do things they love and remain active. One of the safest options is an after-school club near you that provides different activities for kids of all age-groups in a safe and secure environment. You can leave your child at the club knowing that he/she is in safe hands.
  • Be a Role Model: Children learn best by example so if you want your child to be active, model the same behavior. Teach your child the importance of discipline, time management and consistency. If there is a healthy habit that you want your child to adopt, show him/her that you can do it too. For example, if you want your child to exercise daily, make sure you do the same too.
Visit Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Texas for wide range of activities for kids. For more information, call at 254-699-5808

Tips For Developing Communication Skills Among Kids

21. July 2021 Administrator Kids Activities (0)
Effective communication skills are one of the most profound skills for success. They help an individual to express himself confidently and clearly. These skills consist of verbal communication and non-verbal gestures in the form of body language. The best time to start working on communication skills is during childhood.

Here are some ways with which communication skills among kids can be improved:

  • Avoid Over-Correction: Resist the temptation of over-correcting your child. Practice patience and understand that every skill takes time to develop and is based on trial and error. Correct sparingly and encourage your child to speak more irrespective of mistakes.
  • Be A Role-Model: Children learn by example, so set an example of what you want their communication style to be like. Watch your tone, pronunciation, speed and words used as that is what they will mimic.
  • Read More: Read as much as you can with your child as this will introduce new vocabulary and expand his horizons. Do not limit reading to books only but explore everything around you for something to read. This could be a written manual, a cereal box, the newspaper, a poster, etc.
  • Praise Often: Praise your child for talking but do not overdo it. When they are younger, try praising them often throughout the day and when they are older, praise them sparingly for things like using a new word. Praise just enough to keep your child motivated and eager to get better.
  • Ask Open Ended Questions: This does not mean that you overwhelm your child with a stream of endless questions. Try to be an interesting conversation partner without sounding too interrogative. For example, ask questions like, “What did you do with your friends today?”, “What is it that you like about this book?”, etc.
  • Avoid Gadgets: Keep gadgets like phones, televisions, video games, etc. away when communicating with a child; there should be minimum distractions. It will help in strengthening communication skills, expanding imagination and encouraging conversations.
  • Work On Body Language: Teach your child about non-verbal cues as a form of communication. Explain the meaning of different body movements and the emotions they convey. Encourage your child to observe people and try to understand what their movements convey.
  • Other Tips: Apart from the above-mentioned tips, good communication skills can be achieved by practicing how to make eye-contact while talking to others, asking relevant questions, pausing to think, learning the importance of taking turns during a dialect, active listening, etc.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas offers a safe and secure environment for kids to socialize and build communication skills. The clubs organize various life skill development activities for kids. To know more tips for developing communication skills among kids in Killeen, visit 703 N 8th St.
Killeen, TX – 76541 or call at (254) 699 – 5808.

Types Of After-School Club Activities

17. February 2021 Administrator Blog (0)
After-school club activities are important for the overall development of students. They offer opportunities for socializing, taking risks, making decisions, applying logic, exercising team work and more. There are various types of after-school activities that students can engage in depending on their liking and area of interest. Most of these activities even aid in improving their academic performance in addition to polishing up other aspects of their personalities.

Following is a list of various types of after-school activities that students can engage in:

  • Career Centric Activities: Students are encouraged to explore their skills and interests and develop them via interactive and voluntary activities. The programs consist of job shadowing, mentoring and training opportunities.
  • College Readiness Clubs: Youngsters are prepared for high school graduation, post secondary education and for careers. They are taught to make short and long-term goals and are also taken for college tours.
  • STEM Activities: Stress is laid upon understanding the theory and connections of scientific themes. The activities comprise of Engineering Design, Science of Sports, Food Chemistry, Energy and Electricity.
  • Photography: Various forms of photography are taught to students e.g. digital, alternative process, black and white and color photography. Local and regional photography contests are held for categories like fashion and style, filters, editing and more.
  • Financial Literacy: These activities aim to help students learn how to create budgets, financial management, saving, investing and more. The skills learnt in such clubs help youngsters make sound financial decisions as adults.
  • Fine Arts: The focus is on recognizing and developing skills such as painting, printmaking, drawing, mixed media, sculpturing, collage making and so on. Usually select works of participants are displayed at the National Fine Arts Exhibit and other national events.
  • Study Assistance: Students have access to homework assistance, learning activities, tutoring and more. They are encouraged to become self-directed learners over time and propelled to complete their assignments on time.
  • Brain Games Clubs: These clubs consist of modules whereby students are encouraged to brush up their Math and reading skills with the help of creative expression, projects, discovery, group work and more. A project-based learning approach with theme-based fun activities is used to develop higher-order thinking skills.
  • Social Service Clubs: These clubs help the youth discover their innate gifts and use the same for the welfare of the society and for personal development. Stress is laid upon interpersonal skills, community responsibility and work ethics through service and volunteer projects.
  • Other Clubs/Activities: Character development clubs, teen clubs, league sports and fitness programs, discussion clubs, personality development clubs, skills mastery and resilience training, self esteem enhancement programs, leadership programs and more.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas organize an array of after-school activities for kids in Killeen, TX.  To know more about types of after-school activities, visit 703 N. 8th Street, Killeen, TX - 76541. You can also call at (254) 699 – 5808.

How To Choose Right Activities For Mental Growth Of Kids?

28. December 2020 Administrator Blog (0)
Mental growth of kids involves dealing with emotional and social aspects of their personalities. To facilitate mental growth, it may be helpful to engage kids in activities aimed at the same. Such activities help kids regulate their emotions and improve social skills while having fun at the same time.

Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing activities for mental growth of kids:

  • Fun: The activity should be one that is full of fun in order to keep a child interested and engaged. For example, guessing games, fun rhymes, water activities, reading themed books, drawing, painting and more.
  • Realistic: When making a choice of mental activities for your child, keep your goals realistic. The activity chosen should be in tandem with your child’s abilities in order to get best results. The best way to gauge whether an activity is realistic for your child is to pick one that is age appropriate.
  • Instructive: Even though the aim of these activities is to encourage children to be independent, an activity should send a clear message of not crossing certain boundaries of behavior. A child should be able to understand that every action will have a consequence.
  • Effective Praise: To get the most out of an activity aimed at mental growth, it is important to praise every little progress a child makes. This encourages the child to expand his horizons even if it calls for taking some risks.
  • Safety: Even though it is completely okay and normal for your child to feel scared of engaging in some activities, it is important to ensure that the activities chosen are safe and undertaken in a secure environment. Look out for signs of fear like nervous mannerisms, change in sleeping and eating patterns, etc., as these may be indicative of a need to change the activity.
  • Memory And Concentration: For a mental health activity to be effective, choose one that aims at improving your child’s memory and concentration levels. Examples of such activities are games like picture bingo, brain boxes, number string, etc. Such games help a child strengthen his retrievable memory and enhance auditory memory.
  • Active learning: Look for activities that promote active learning as opposed to passive learning activities. Active leaning activities engage and challenge a child’s capacity to think and learn with the help of both imaginary and real life scenarios. Such activities should consist of investigative, purposeful, pre-planned and some spontaneous activities. The key is to choose an activity that engages both mind and body.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas offer a variety of after-school activities to improve the mental growth of kids in Killeen, TX.  To know more about how to choose right activities for mental growth of kids, visit 703 N. 8th Street, Killeen, TX - 76541. You can also call at (254) 699 – 5808.

The Crucial Role Of Recess In School

28. February 2020 Administrator Blog (0)
It is believed that including recess in school schedule has myriad benefits on the overall development of a child’s personality. It provides a much-needed break from a time-constrained academic schedule giving a child an opportunity to socialize. Also, students get time to explore and build cognitive, emotional, physical and academic skills. As per the American Academy of Pediatrics, recess is crucial to the overall development of a child and should be encouraged in schools. It provides a child with interactive and explorative experiences in an unstructured environment

Listed below are some benefits of recess for the development of a school-going child:

  • Academic Benefits: Children who are granted time for recess amidst their academic sessions at school have higher chances of performing better academically. This is because of the invaluable physical, cognitive and emotional benefits that recess has to offer. Such kids have higher energy levels, better retention and are more alert in class. A small break recharges them for academic sessions and boosts their overall academic performance.
  • Cognitive Benefits: Recess encourages children to run around and move freely. This has profound benefits on a child’s mental abilities related to focusing and overall brain function. Irrespective of whether recess is outdoors or indoors, it optimizes cognitive processing and makes a child more attentive and productive in class.
  • Social Benefits: During recess, children get to practice valuable social skills with peers. They learn how to negotiate, solve problems, improve coping skills, work as a team, cooperate, exercise self-control and develop other positive social habits. Having both positive and challenging social interactions helps kids in developing important life skills like leadership and negotiation.
  • Emotional Benefits: A child develops a high emotional quotient if exposed to activities that grant freedom of thought and movement. It can lead to huge emotional benefits for a child. Recess provides great lessons for managing emotions. It provides a healthy and safe environment to vent-out excessive energy and stress that build-up due to academics and fixed routines. Kids who enjoy recess time at school are more likely to grow into happier, responsible, empathetic and less stressed adults.
  • Physical Benefits:  Recess provides an opportunity for children to be physically active. Physical activity helps with fighting obesity, improving mental clarity, boosting one’s mood and generally improving overall health. As per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), physical activity of at least 60 minutes every day is required for kids to be healthy and active.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Texas provide various opportunities for students to learn and grow. The aim of the clubs is to engage children in life-enhancing programs. For further information on the crucial role of recess in school, visit 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541. You can also call at (254) 699 – 5808.