out & about
Activities
By the time your child has been at school for a couple of years, you’ll have plenty of ideas for activities they’d like to pursue further. But how can you find suitable clubs to join or things to do that will motivate them and be fun?
Football
Young children might like to join a mini league. Most football clubs run these in tandem with training courses throughout the year – girls are welcome or have their own leagues. Reps and scouts from the club often visit smaller grounds and hold courses. Ring the club for more details.
Tennis
Visit www.lta.org to find out how to get a rating and join a local club. Most local clubs offer individual or group courses for children.
Gymnastics
Pop along to your local sports centre to find out what clubs meet on which days. If your child has hit their stride, it may be fun to visit www.baga.co.uk for more details about gymnastic disciplines and to check for competitions and events.
Martial arts
Increasingly popular, kids’ classes in tae-kwondo, karate and judo are available at most local sports centres.
Drama/Dance
If you don’t know where to start, a good place could be your local rep theatre, which can advise you on where classes and clubs are held. Otherwise try venues and libraries and keep an eye on their noticeboards. Outside major cities, drama classes can be few and far between although traditional dance, sequence dancing and ballet are all thriving at community and church halls throughout Britain.
Music
Ask the music teacher at your child’s school for advice and guidance on what is going on locally. They will be able to suggest teachers for first instruments, as well as group activities. Remember guitar groups and steel bands are wonderful opportunities for children to get going and develop a musical ear. Orchestras are for later on as your child starts passing grade examinations.
Unusual activities
What better way to get started than with a family holiday that focuses on the activity?
- The Field Studies Council (01743 850674) has a wide range of activity breaks for families, from drawing, painting, watercolour, photography and calligraphy weekends, to hill and coast walking and birdwatching.
- Acorn Activities www.acornactivities.co.uk has a family activity holiday section which includes rock climbing in Wales, gorge trapeze adventures, abseiling and white water action days.
- Ropeworks Challenge at Greenacre’s British Holiday Park in Wales (01766 515316) features swings, abseiling platforms and climbing walls for children aged six upwards.
- Skylight Circus Arts www.skylight-circus-arts.org.uk in Rochdale has been running circus workshops for 12 years. The family-oriented Introduction to Circus Skills course includes juggling, diabolo, tightrope, stilts, unicycle and more.
|
|
