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A great way for your child to stay
ACTIVE & LEARN new things
Trying a New Club or Class By Claire Winter
Whatever the age of your child, trying a new activity or sport encourages them to be more adventurous and learn new skills. Here are Families’ helpful tips for encouraging your child to try something new.
Target their Interests
Tap into the Demand Factor and Co-Ordinate with Others If fitting in is important to your child, look for new or popular activities. Our directory can help you find potential classes and clubs that you may not know about.
For active kids, why not consider something more challenging, such as climbing, caving, or martial arts? While for the creatively inclined, investigate an art class, reading or book club or a school newspaper or blog. While it’s a little more difficult to assess the interests of pre-schoolers or toddlers, most enjoy sing and rhyme classes or activities that involve physical activity, like pre-school gymnastics or football.
Try talking to other parents and see what activities their children are involved in. You could even arrange for your children to participate in the activity together. Simply knowing that their friends are interested in a new club or class may mean your child will be keener to get involved. You could also introduce a reluctant child to a sibling’s activity, or for younger children nervous about being alone, you can attend the first session with them.
Understand What's Stopping Them
For pre-school and toddler classes, co-ordinating with other parents can feel more important than whether you feel your child will particularly enjoy an activity. Structured activities can keep your little one occupied and give you a welcome chance to make friends with other parents.
If your toddler is reluctant to join in a class, participate in the activity alongside them. It takes pre-schoolers time to get used to a new environment, but once they get used to it, they will join in with gusto.
The Purbeck Swim School at Purbeck Sports Centre is open 50 weeks of the year and to all children aged 3 years and over, from complete beginners to advanced levels. Start your little ones swimming journey with exciting lessons following the STA syllabus for just £20 a month! Children will earn badges as they progress through every stage. Parent and baby lessons are also available from 0 to 36 months as well as child and adult private swimming lessons and group adult swimming lessons.
A good starting point is to look at your child's current interests. Local sports centres, libraries and art centres are often teeming with opportunities to join classes and clubs, so don't be afraid to look outside the school environment for things to do.
Many children can be apprehensive about new experiences, but if your child is consistently shying away from trying new activities, sit down with them and try to find out why. It could be a fear of not making friends, being bullied, low self-confidence about their abilities, or being in an unfamiliar environment. Once you know the cause of their anxiety, you can help address it.
Make a Splash with Purbeck Swim School
Highlight the Benefits Focus on the positive things your child will gain by taking part in a particular sport or activity. These could be a new social circle, certificates, medals or stickers, job or education opportunities in the future, greater confidence, getting fitter, or simply being with friends.
Whatever your ability we have a class to suit you. Call us today 01929 500 000.
More than Music at Jo Jingles Jo Jingles provides children with lots of fabulous fun, and whilst we don’t guarantee an “X Factor” star we do offer a wonderful musical experience for them to enjoy with their “grown-ups”. But it’s not just about the music; our classes also encourage group interaction, help speech development, coordination and social skills. We have a different theme every week so the children are always excited to discover what Jo’s new musical adventure is going to be. Parents tell us it’s their favourite weekly activity, as well as their children’s, so why not come along and join in the fun! Find your nearest class today at www.jojingles.com/poole
REMEMBER it doesn’t matter what activity your child pursues, as long as they enjoy it.
Lessons For All Ages & Abilities at Individuality At Individuality Swimming, parents and children can start their journey with AquaNatal classes. Parent and Baby classes involve lots of play and use submersion techniques to help children feel confident in the water and, from six months, children can also enjoy Aqua Sensory lessons with a focus on early developmental
8 Families Dorset
NEW CLASSES at Talbot Heath School
skills. Children’s swim classes follow with no more than five in a class to give your child the attention needed to develop their swimming skills, while one-to-one and two-to-one lessons are also available. Classes available across various venues in Bournemouth, Poole, Ringwood and Wimborne.
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