It is imperative to keep the kids involved in something productive and worthwhile so that they don’t go astray. As a parent or a teacher, it is important that you keep experimenting and each time find something innovative for the kids to do. Outdoor activities are a great way to develop the physical, mental and emotional health of the kids. Read on to know some of the great ideas for outdoor activities that can engage your kids in having a great time.

1. Nature has a whole lot of things to teach to the kids. Therefore, you must make your kids explore the nature whenever possible. Go for a hike or camping where you can play different kinds of games. Engage your kids in outdoor cooking as well and see how much fun they will have.
2. Going out for fishing is another great activity that your kids will just love. Remember to give them safety tips beforehand. This will educate them about handling the situation whenever they are near a water body. Practical experience of fishing will help them learn how it is actually done and the kids will definitely enjoy it.
3. Introduce your kid to lesser know outdoor sports such as archery or canoeing. Engage them for coaching in these games to develop their various skills.
4. Bird watching is another very interesting activity and the kids will have a chance of viewing something different. Teach your kids how they can attract birds to their homes by providing the correct environment as well as birdfeed.
5. Children can also be engaged in gardening so you can develop their interest by setting up a small garden. You will enjoy seeing them get happy and feel joyous when they see the vegetables and fruits grow. Assist them in gardening and it will be a great outdoor activity for your kids.
6. Kite flying is another great option to indulge the kids in. You can help them in making the kites by themselves and fly them high.

There is a lot that can be done if you carefully think and plan some outdoor kids activities. Child experts recommend that it is necessary for the kids to go outdoors and not just keep on sitting inside the homes watching TV and playing on the computer.

• Outdoor activities provide the following benefits:
• Outdoor activity helps the children remain fully active and also boosts up their mental health.
• When kids play outdoors, they get a chance to develop new friendships which helps in social development as well.
• Emotional development is also encouraged with outdoor activities as children learn to take risks and also develop independence.

We at Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas offer various outdoorl activities for your kids. To enroll your kid in any of these programs, kindly visit us at 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

Creative activities help children develop their overall personality. These help children develop imagination, problem solving abilities and logic as well. It is imperative expose them to such activities at an early stage so that it helps them in the longer run. Read on to know how you can develop creativity in your kids…

1. The creativity of a child comes out extremely well when he is given the right kind of environment. Involve him in kids activities like gardening, exploring parks and museums. Make him give inputs in art projects, read books and listen to music etc.
2. Do not always put the pressure of time on your kids. Give them space as well as ample time to develop their creative juices.
3. Children are always very inquisitive by nature and love to ask questions from their parents or other elders around them. But parents must make sure that they do not get irritated when they are questioned regarding anything. Discouraging children from asking questions can block their creative expression and hinder the imagination process.
4. Introduce creative use of different items to your child to give a kick to his imagination power. For example, a hat can become a basket or a flower pot and so on. Let your child use his own mind to find something new in everything he sees.
5. You must try and ask your children different types of open-ended questions to improve their level of understanding. For example, an imaginative question could include: What would happen if birds start talking like humans? Or you could ask them something which would make them give ideas for improvement of something. An example could be: How can you make your room neat and clean?
6. Another important aspect of developing creativity in children is to play with them. You can encourage them to enact different characters such as an animal and also use props to make the whole thing more exciting.
7. Children do love to play in mud and get dirty or build sand cast. In the process, they soil their clothes and create a complete mess. But do not discourage them from indulging in a mess. These types of games are equally important as children learn many new things. You must in fact tell them to clean themselves up later on after they are done playing.
8. Whenever you tell a story to your kid take inputs from your child. This will help your kid use his imagination and bring out the creativity in him. Although most of the things he will say will be silly, you must let him carry on and not interrupt.

For more information, visit us at Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas We conduct various program emphasizes on good nutrition, physical activities and overall well being. To register your kid, visit us at 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

Kids clubs are a great way to keep your children engaged in some fruitful activity while learning valuable practical lessons of life. There are a number of activities for children specially designed by these clubs that help them evolve as individuals while having fun at the same time. Activities at kids clubs are related to health skills, personality development, sports, career and education among many others. Following are some of the main reasons why you should encourage your child to join a club.
With the advancement in technology, most of the children like spending their time indoors. They love playing video games or surfing on the Internet. But when a child joins a certain club, he is bound to indulge in a variety of outdoor kids activities that will make his mind and body healthier.

1. It has been well said that ‘an idle mind is a devil’s workshop’ and this saying is even true in case of children also. They need to get their minds engaged in something productive, which keeps them away from criminal activities or unhealthy practices. Kids clubs are a great way to keep them engrossed in some fun activity that they really enjoy doing.
2. Joining a kids club also makes a child more social as he makes more friends. Kids with like-minded interests attract each other’s attention and this lays a very good foundation for lifelong friendships.
3. Children can participate in a variety of activities at the kids clubs and develop new skills. They can also get motivated to pursue a new interest or hobby and develop it further. This acts a great booster for their self-confidence.
4. Teamwork is very essential in school as well as in a job later on in life. By joining a kids club, your child can learn the value of working in a team while trying to achieve a common goal with other children. He can get involved in a community service project or some other team game where he has to work in coordination with other kids.
5. Kids clubs also organize various activities where children elect their representatives and also take independent decisions. By doing so, they are able to imbibe leadership values and also learn to become good followers.
6. Participating in kids’ club activities makes a child an all-rounder and schools always appreciate this fact.  A student who is active in a kids club will also be good at studies.
7. Besides everything else, participating in kids clubs serves as a great fun activity for children. They enjoy their time and have fun while learning something worthwhile.

We at the Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas organize year-round kids activities for kids of 6-18 years of age.  To get your kid enrolled in any of these activities kindly contact us at 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541 or call us at 254-699-5808 Ext: 102.

Children do not like to do homework. If you are a parent who is new at making your child do homework, you will soon realize that verbal motivation or even bribing is going to stop working sooner or later. To be fair, it is not their fault. They are only going to do what they find interesting. Here are a few simple ways to make your child interested in sitting down and doing homework willingly.

Use music to make it fun. This is especially effective in getting the learning part of the homework done. Tables in mathematics or alphabets in English can be easily learned through rhymes. You can either use the classic children`s rhymes like “3 little kittens” or “Ten little Indians”, or even make something up yourself. As long as it is musical and interactive, your child won’t get bored.

Most of the children like to follow what their parents do. If you like to watch television, your child will not sit alone in his room and do his homework. Therefore, try to have a common “homework time” for yourself and your child. Sit down with them with your “homework”. This is a fun and interesting way of making the child understand the importance of homework. While you check the monthly budget against the bills or go through your office work, your child too shall feel encouraged to take his work seriously just as you would be take yours. Do the “homework talk” in between. For example, say things like, “Miss RedWood at office is going to be furious at me If I don`t finish this work.” This way, the child will be able to relate to you. It will help him understand that homework is part of everyone`s life.

One of the key responsibilities of a parent is to make the child understand that doing homework is for his own good. The sooner a child starts taking his homework as his own responsibility, the better it will be for everyone. This is the trickiest part. How does one add fun to something as serious as a responsibility? Well, this is where rewarding comes into play. You must understand that rewards are different from bribes. Also, rewards need to be what a child really wants. For example, you can let your child know that he can play for extra 30 minutes in the ground if he finishes his homework within fixed time. This will not only encourage your child to finish the homework at the soonest possible but will also improve his academic skills. Another example is letting them watch a certain TV program or making a particular dish that they love to eat. Choose rewards that you think can work on daily basis.

The Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas organizes ‘Power Hour’, an education program which aims at providing homework help and tutoring to kids between the age group 6-16 years. If you are interested in enrolling your kids in this program, kindly visit us at 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

There are numerous activities for children that help them remain busy and active. Team building activities are a fun way to inculcate some really good values in children, which will benefit them in all spheres of their life; be it sports, job, school or personal lives. This is the reason why cheerleading is such a great outdoor team building activity for children. Cheerleading is not just about screaming and supporting a team, it involves a lot more. One can enroll his child as a cheerleader in any of the sports like football, baseball, softball, soccer, basketball and swimming. Cheerleading provides mental as well as physical benefits for kids. Read on to know why cheerleading is such a beneficial activity for kids.

1. Since cheerleading is a physical activity, it helps increase muscle strength. It also makes increases the cardiovascular strength as it is akin to exercise. Continuous jumping and clapping increases the heart rate, thereby giving a boost to health.
2. Cheerleading with a squad is an amazing way to learn the value of teamwork. Since this activity involves a lot of gymnastic stunts and dance steps, children learn to perform together in sync with each other, thereby promoting harmony and teamwork.
3. When children are cheerleading, they can form strong bonds and develop friendships that last for a lifetime. Even the families of children get a chance to interact and these turn into trustworthy emotional bondings.
4. Children are the part of a team when they are cheering for their squad that is on the field. Therefore, they develop positive traits like confidence, accomplishment and also become physically active. An optimistic attitude and good self-esteem goes a long way in shaping the personality of a child. 
5. Some schools ask the students to maintain a particular grade if they want to retain their place in the cheerleading squad. Therefore, the students become all the more focused on their studies and work hard towards scoring high grades. This further opens new avenues in higher studies and students also might get a chance to avail scholarships.
6. The main job of cheerleaders is to boost the morale of their team. They motivate the players to win. Therefore, involving children in cheerleading can give them a sense of accomplishment and generate positivity in their attitude irrespective of whether their team wins or loses.

Therefore, we can see that cheerleading is a great activity for children to learn the valuable lessons of life. They imbibe a lot of characteristics that help in building their personalities.

We at Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas offer various sports and recreational kids activities To enroll your kid in any of these programs or, visit us at 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

With rise in the number of children suffering from obesity in America, it has become essential for parents to ensure that they take part in various physical activities. If you want your kids to remain fit and active throughout life and stay away from obesity related problems, then you must introduce your kids to different sports at a young age.

Consider your child’s strength, abilities and temperament and then engage him into an appropriate sport that perfectly suits him. Just keep telling your child about the importance of exercise and the ultimate fun that he will get by playing any particular sport.  He will get interested in trying various sports activities, especially when he will see you actively involved in it.

When you realize that your kid is showing interest in some specific sport, make sure that you encourage him. Accompany him to the games, cheer him up and also practice along with him. With your support, your child will gain confidence to perform better. It will thereby help him build a healthy and active lifestyle. The sport activities include team sports and individual sports.

• Team sports: Various options of team sports include softball, soccer, volleyball and swimming competitions and other water sports. Out of these sport options, look for the one that your child is interested. Also see that the particular sport suits his body type and skill levels. Encourage your kid to join the team at school or enroll him in a neighborhood sport league. This way you will get your child socialize also. These sports will not only make your child physically active but also make him more social and understand the importance of team spirit.
• Individual Sports: You can also encourage your kids to play various individual sports like martial arts, swimming, golf, skiing, basketball, tennis and many more. The various physical advantages associated with some individual sports are given below:
• Golf: Golf is a game that keeps the child active, fit and healthy by exercising the muscles. Not only does he enjoys this sport but also breathes in a fresh environment.
• Tennis: This popular aerobic sport builds the strength of every muscle. Tennis is a sport that makes for a great workout and helps one to maintain the body fitness.
• Skiing: It is a popular sport in colder areas and can be quickly learnt by young kids. This sport activity tones the entire body of the child and provides for an excellent cardiovascular workout. 

We at the Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas organize year-round sports activities for kids of 6-18 years of age.  To get your kid enrolled in any of these activities kindly contact us at 304 W Ave B, Killeen, TX – 76541 or call us at 254-699-5808 Ext: 102.

Childhood is the best learning phase of life. The lessons that a child gets during this period stay with him forever. Besides the other things that a child is taught at school, one valuable lesson that parents can teach their children is that of the importance of money. How to spend in a well-calculated manner and save for bigger and better things is something that will be really helpful in the later stages of life.

The first and foremost thing to be kept in mind is that parents should take their children along whenever they go shopping. They need to explain to them how budgeting is done; how the things to be bought on the basis of priority. If children pose any questions regarding the same, care should be taken to ensure that clear answers are communicated to them.

Taking your children to the bank can be really helpful. Introduce them to simple concepts like deposit and withdrawal of money. Parents should encourage their children to ask questions from employees at the bank with respect to things like how the cash comes into the bank, how it flows out, what are loans and so on. This will not only make the child learn about money-related issues but also increase the confidence level while communicating with others.

The importance of savings is something that should definitely be taught to children. Kids need to be taught that spending on impulse is not a healthy option. Rather, planning out everything in advance and then saving appropriately to meet all the future needs is preferable.

Piggy banks are something that we all know about. Giving your kid one and telling him that small savings can gradually lead to larger amounts of money will encourage the child to save money whenever he or she can. And finally when the child can use that money to buy something on a special occasion like say a birthday, the joy and satisfaction that comes along will only make him or her realize that saving is indeed a good option.

An effective way of teaching a child how budgeting is done is to give them small allowances on a weekly or monthly basis. Parents should also give them a writing pad and tell the child to write down his or her goals; both immediate and the long-term ones. Then calculate the probable expenses that would be incurred on each of these. Finally the child can decide how to go about spending keeping in mind the calculations made. Saving money and using it wisely are important aspects of the learning and growing-up process of a child. Parents have a key role to play in this. The earlier the child learns, the better it is.

We at Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas, run ‘Money Matters’ program which promotes financial responsibility and independence among the kids. It teaches them managing their budget and saving and investing the right way.

To know more about this program or to enroll your kid in the same, kindly visit us at the Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas at 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541. You can also contact Ms. Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

In today’s digital age, with children of our generation being hooked to computers and other electronic gadgets, the importance of physical activity assumes all the more significance. Sports and other outdoor kids activities are a great way to build body stamina and general fitness. Besides these inculcate many qualities such as team work and the spirit of sportsmanship, which help a child in the long run.

Basketball is one such sport. And the benefits that a child can gain by playing it are numerous. When it comes to fitness, there is no other sport that makes use of all body muscles as effectively as basketball does. Jumping, dribbling, and dodging: they all provide a great workout for the body. The blood circulation improves and the inflow of fresh air works wonders for the heart. Playing the game regularly also helps to build stamina and endurance, especially in young kids, as the muscles and bones are in the growing stage.

Apart from physical fitness, the next key advantage associated with basketball is the tremendous boost it can give to a child’s confidence. In today’s world of cut-throat competition, where your competitors are always ready to pin you down, confidence can augur really well for a child to deal with the tough situations that he or she will encounter in his or her life at a later stage. Winning matches and making strategies for the same acts are a perfect way to build up confidence.

Basketball is not merely a sport. There is a lot of thought process involved as one player passes the ball to the other and they work out on a plan of action. This helps a kid to build up analytical skills and logic which is more than handy in practical situations. The child learns to scrutinize and assess things and choose the alternative that works best under the given circumstances.

Then there is the benefit of learning to work in a team. You play basketball as a team with all players contributing equally to the common goal of winning the game. This teaches the child the value of gelling well with others and working as one unit, giving equal importance to everybody’s opinions. Team work is an important aspect that is really helpful as the child grows up.

There is no doubt that class room education is vital for a child. But the fact stands that this education is incomplete without active participation in games and physical activities. And basketball is a wonderful way to accomplish physical as well as intellectual growth. So go and encourage your child to start playing the game today and see him or her becoming stronger, taller and smarter!

We at Boys & Girls Club of Central Texas conduct Co-Ed Basketball registration which begins from December 3 and ends on December 13. To get your kid registered in the same, kindly visit the Woody Hall Unit located at 5100 Trimmier Road in Killeen between 3pm and 7pm from Monday to Friday and between 10am and 3pm on Saturday. For more assistance, call Ms. Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

The subject of Arts is not just limited to painting, drawing or sculpture-making, but also includes music, singing, dancing, theatre, cinema, interior designing, and fashion. Activities related to all these fields give an opportunity to children to express themselves, their emotions and imaginations. When parents expose their kids to any of the art activity, they actually trigger their creative thought process. Although, developing interest of a child towards these art subjects might seem to be difficult for some parents, some tips and techniques given below can help them to make this task easy:

• Exposing your young ones towards any age specific art and craft activities at a young age would gradually develop their interest in art. Don’t just let them watch TV or play with dolls and other toys. Rather, set-up any art project for them that is appropriate for their age. If you too will involve yourself in creating a project along with your child, then he is likely to show more interest.
• Let your child listen to various forms of music. Sing and dance with him to his favorite tunes. Attend child specific theatre productions like music concerts, dance shows and many more such events with your kid.
• When your child is old enough, enroll him into a painting or sketching class. If you find that your kid is more drawn toward music, then enrolling him in a dance or singing class would be better.
• Take your child to the art and craft store and let him pick the supplies that he will need in the craft project. Let him choose painting colors, stencil shapes or other things that he thinks would be useful in the artwork.
• Let your child be creative enough to make things from the art and craft supplies present in their homes. Encourage him to make the best use of the material available while creating some craft project. Appreciate his artwork and make room to display it.
• Keep on asking your child about his interests so that you can provide him with the basic amenities that he requires for creating art. For instance, if he is interested in playing some musical instrument then try to provide him with one. You can also enhance his interest by letting him take music lessons where he can get acquainted with the specific musical instrument that he likes to play.
• Your child will get encouraged by your appreciation and will always try to do better in the particular art field that interest him. If you keep on praising him, then he will never lose interest in the art that he has selected for himself. You will always find him confident about his work.

We at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Texas organize year-round fine art programs for kids between the age group 6-18 years. These programs include drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, mixed media and a lot more. To register your kid in the various art programs, please call Ms Caroll Dunn at 254-699-5808.

Long time back, students at school were labeled smart or dumb merely by evaluating their ability to sort out math problems or writing the correct answers. The students who failed this evaluation test were tagged dumb even if they had different ways of understanding and approaching a problem. You must understand that every child has his own point of view.  It’s a challenge for a parent, caregiver or educator to identify children’s life skills and abilities and help them enhance those talents while assisting them in fields where they find difficulties.

Howard Gardner said in his book entitled Theory of Multiple Intelligences that every person differs by experiencing and expressing intelligence in different areas. So is the case with children. A child can show his intelligence in regions like:

• Linguistics: A child that possesses linguistic intelligence likes to read and even write stories, poems etc. He usually mentions about what he has read. He is fascinated by new words and curious to know about their meanings, will be good in spellings and also has a wide vocabulary.
• Logical-mathematics: A child with strong logical intelligence is likely to score high in mathematical test. He will be good in mental arithmetic. He’ll be interested to scientifically know the reason of how things work. He will be quite punctual and well organized.
• Music: A child will show his musical skill by his ability to understand, perceive and create music. He can recognize the tunes and notes. He will often sing or hum and is quick to learn songs.
• Spatial: A child who has strong spatial intelligence is a natural artist. He will be able to notice even small changes and possess good visual imagination. He will enjoy drawing, sketching, coloring or painting. He would love to click various pictures and capture videos, if given an opportunity.
• Bodily-kinesthetic: Your child would be good at sports and other physical activities if he has physical intelligence. The kid will be creative and would like to be involved in various kids activities like cooking, dancing and sewing.
• Intrapersonal: If your child possess intrapersonal skills then he is likely to have a good friend circle. He will be friendly and relate well to people who are younger or older to him. He is a good listener and will often sort out problems among friends.
• Interpersonal:  If your child is a deep thinker then he possesses interpersonal intelligence. He is kind of introvert, shy but intelligent. He might not mix up easily with other people.

We at Boys and Girls Clubs Of Central Texas run special program ‘Goals for Growth’ to help kids identify their strength and enhance their self-esteem by recognizing their goals and hidden skills. To get your child enrolled in this program, visit us at 304 W Ave B, TX- 76541 or call Ms. Carol Dunn (Administrative assistant) at 254-699-5808, Ext: 102.

Computers have become an important part of our lives in the present time. Right from our home, school or workplace, they play a critical role in helping us perform all our tasks easily and quickly. Thus, it is very important that kids must be made aware of its basic functionality and how to use it in a productive way.They should be exposed to this technology at an early age so that they are fully prepared to cope with the digital world.

Boys & Girls Clubs Of Central Texas offers various computer skills programs for the kids of different age groups. With an aim of improving their educational as well as practical knowledge, the club arranges classes for the children to know about the working of computer and its components. The programs offered at the club include:

• Skill Tech: This program involves teaching basic computer skills to the children. It aims at increasing their efficiency in creating spreadsheets, word processing as well as a lot of other constructive software. The club organizes various practical and interactive classes for the kids to learn this new skill in a fun manner. The ‘Skill Tech’ program is sponsored by the Microsoft Corporation and developed under the Club Tech initiative by BGCA.
• Skill Tech II: This program is intended to impart practical and advanced computer skills to the kids aged 6 to 18 years. The instructors use different course related interactive, animated tutorials and group activities to impart the skills to the club members. They are also made familiar with the computer hardware, software, networking components and technology related career opportunities. This program is also developed through Club Tech initiative of BGCA and funded by Microsoft Corporation.

Given here are some of the benefits of enrolling your child in the computer skills program at Boys & Girls Clubs Of Central Texas:

• Boosts academic growth: A good knowledge of computers opens many career opportunities for the kids.
• Promotes creative expression: Various designing, music, animation and other software’s can help the children to bring out their creativity.
• Provides better learning opportunities: Computers provide for a wonderful source of learning for the kids. 
• Develops motor skills: Certain computer activities also help the kids to develop their motor skills. They can also improve their hand eye coordination by playing certain games that involve the use of both mouse and keyboard.

For more details about our computer skills program, you can call at (254) 699 – 5808.