Change of Address: 10 Awesome After School Programs for Your Child

10 Awesome After School Programs for Your Child

When you have children especially elementary school-aged children it can be a challenge to make sure they are taken care of after school. If both parents work, it can be impossible for either to take care of the kids after school. That’s when we have to scramble to find good quality after school programs that will keep the kids safe and hopefully help them to develop further. We all want the best for our children and while recognizing that time with Mom or Dad would be great, sometimes we have to reach out to after school programs in the local community. If you find yourself in this situation (like I do), then here are 10 great resources so you can check out a variety of after school programs:

YMCA/YWCA – they generally offer a very broad group of classes for after school. What’s great about the Y is they usually provide transportation for your child or in many cases they will be right on the school’s premises making it possible for your children to be taken care of right in their own school. The Y’s programs are generally homework focused first and then activity-based. The activities your children participate in are up to you to decide, but they will usually have several great choices. You can get more information at your local YMCA or you can start here: http://www.ymca.net.

Boys and Girls Clubs – Almost every major city and some smaller cities in the U.S. have a Boys and Girls Club. These are generally great places for kids to go after school. Depending on the club in your area this may work well for older kids but the idea is to provide them with life enhancing opportunities and the chance to develop in new ways. You can find out what is available in your area by going to the following site: http://www.bgca.org/clubs/.

Private Daycare Centers – I know you are thinking you don’t need a daycare provider you need an after school provider. Well, most private daycare centers have very active and organized after school programs for kids all the way up until junior high school (sometimes further with helper programs). They generally are a more expensive option but they also will provide transportation and a great environment for making sure homework gets done early. You should contact your local Primrose, Kindercare, Montessori, or similar providers. These are also great places to check to make sure your children have a place to go during school breaks and in-service days. My children have gone here in the past and loved it: http://www.primroseschools.com/.

4-H Clubs – Another excellent organization (nearly 100 years old) that offers after school programs is 4-H. They are somewhat similar to Boys and Girls Clubs. In fact, when I was growing up I attended 4-H and learned life skills like cooking and similar things from their instructors. This was a great way for me to get to meet other kids and to keep me busy while my parents finished their workday. You can get more information on 4-H here: http://4-h.org/b/Pages/Afterschool/about.html.

Community Help Clubs like Kiwanis Kids – Kiwanis Kids provides opportunities for kids to help in their school and community through various activities. They seek to build strong moral character and to further develop leadership skills in the kids. They are located throughout the country and if you happen to not have a club in your area you can found one if you get at least 15 kids to join. For more information you can read all about Kiwanis Kids here: http://slp.kiwanis.org/KKids/home.aspx.

Sports clubs – There are many different sports clubs for just about every sport you can imagine. Some are more organized than others and all of them are of course activity focused first and generally don’t help at all with homework. If your child is very interested in sports you may look for local basketball, volleyball, football, baseball, or multi-sport clubs. They will keep your child active and help them develop skills that they are interested in at the same time. Your school and/or other parents are the most likely source for information on sports programs. Another option would be to consider kids fitness center options at your local fitness center. Here is a great starting point: http://clubs.lifetimefitness.com/. One more option to consider is a club that Kobe Bryant supports: After School All Stars which you can read more about here: http://www.afterschoolallstars.org.

Private tutors and learning centers – You can go to sites like: http://www.tutornation.com to find and or list a tutoring job. If your child needs assistance with their homework and/or you would like them to get additional training in a specific discipline then you can hire the nightly services of a private tutor. There are several websites to assist you with finding a high quality tutor that you can trust to be screened to work with your child (though I would screen them myself as well as you can NEVER be too safe). Another great resource would by the Kumon Learning Centers which are located throughout the U.S., you can look for one in your neighborhood here: http://www.kumon.com/GetStarted.aspx.

Nannies/Sitters – This is especially helpful if you have non school-aged children at home as well. However, there are several babysitters (especially high school aged kids) that would be more than happy to watch your child after school. One great site that I have used multiple times to find a great long-term or permanent nanny/sitter is: http://www.greataupair.com.

Dance classes – Another popular after school activity is to enroll your child in a dance academy. They generally offer classes every afternoon and evening and will teach your child tap, jazz, ballet, and other forms of dance. In order to find a good program we recommend talking to other parents and visiting multiple dance studios. The studios are generally small and local so your best bet is to find one to visit here: http://www.yellowpages.com.

Music programs – Millions of people saw the hit Jack Black move, School of Rock. Well, such schools and programs actually do exist and if your child is very interested in music then this can be the perfect way to keep them safe after school and for them to continuously develop their music skills. You can look for a School of Rock in your area here: http://www.schoolofrock.com. I also recommend that you check with your local music store.

There are many other places to look to for after school care and ideas including your local church (highly recommended), your local library, or you can even search for homework clubs in your area (or start one yourself) http://www.homeworkclub.org. Whether you are in a new neighborhood or just looking for something different for your child, I hope this article gave you a solid starting point.