Extracurriculars to Sign Your Kids Up For That Are Anything but Lame

With the recent success of America Ninja Warrior, kids want to develop their abilities as little warriors themselves. While being supervised by trained adults, children are given a chance to build on skills for an entire course or can focus on improving at one section. This activity builds not only strength, but perseverance and character.

Just about every person in the world has imagined what it would be like to have superpowers. Now, with thousands of classes across the country, your kiddo won't just be imagining a hero, they'll be creating one too. Specialized comic classes will help kids take their drawing skills to the next level while also learning the fundamentals of story building.

While it's easy to see why kids enjoy movies, it can get a little boring watching the same film over and over again. By signing them up for a film school program, they'll learn how to create their own stories, handle equipment, and edit software on a computer. These will be home movies people will actually want to watch.

One of the most common reasons why children don't stick with a musical instrument is because they can't see the purpose of it. Occasional recitals not withstanding, most of the time the drive to practice is minimal because only they hear their progress. By signing them up for a kids' class that has them playing in a band, they'll learn how to play well with others, quite literally.

If you have a reader at home who begs you on a daily basis to go to the book store or library, they also might enjoy learning how to create a book. A writer's workshops teaches children what makes a good story, as well as how to take criticism and listen to other people's ideas and will give them a great sense of accomplishment when their story is completed.

A cooking class is a great way to teach kids important skills that will last a lifetime, as well as give their parents a night off from cooking. Children will learn how to read a recipe, take measurements, and what flavors go well with others, and usually there are leftovers for the whole family. Talk about a yummy way to spend an afternoon.

Acrobatics, trampoline, juggling, trapeze, and tight wire are just some of the activities that your child could go to school bragging about doing. Beyond the physical abilities being developed, learning how to perform in a circus challenges kids to be braver than they ever thought possible, to be graceful, and to work with a team.

App building classes can be a fun way for kids to safely learn more about computers while thinking creatively to build their own programs. This is a great STEM activity where children can solve world problems or create a game; the possibilities are endless.