Extracurricular Activities Perfect for Teen Girls
These days, it can be so easy to let your teens distract themselves after school with their phones and tablets for hours and hours. For busy parents, sometimes it can be hard to constantly remind your kids to get up and get active. It can be a pain to constantly enforce unplugging and dealing with a teen who would rather scroll through Snapchat or Tiktok with her friends and trying to force her to read a book or go outside. But it is important to keep kids balanced. One way to combat a constant stream of online activity all the time is to get your kids involved in extracurricular activities. Here are some groups, clubs and activities that teens will both benefit from and enjoy.
Dance
If your daughter is creative and loves music, dance is an amazing extracurricular activity that will give her only benefits. It doesn’t really matter which type of dance - whether it’s jazz, hip hop, ballroom or ballet - she will be able to learn a discipline, learn new ways of moving and controlling her muscles; she will gain enhanced coordination, a way to stay fit, active and physically healthy. Dance is also amazing for mental health. It allows you to have an outlet for any stress or anxiety you experienced throughout the day. The attention your brain puts on the rhythm is also beneficial for cognitive processes and intelligence. Your daughter will learn discipline, the importance of hard work, dedication and practice, as well as form lifelong bonds and friendships with other dancers.
If your daughter has never taken a dance class before, a great way to get her started and excited about the idea is gifting her a cute dance-friendly wardrobe like brightly colored, printed leggings and a matching sports bra. Gift her and encourage her to find some dance classes she can join either in-person or virtually and watch a new passion blossom!
Sports
The wide world of sports is limitless. There is so much to choose from and so much to benefit from. Whether it's swimming, soccer or track; basketball, volleyball or whichever sport your daughter prefers, sports is a great outlet for excess energy and/or frustration if there is any.
Sports have the amazing benefits of teaching teens a laundry list of life lessons that will help in their character development and could even make an impact that drives them to reach success in their lives. Learning how to play with others, dedicate themselves to improvement and success through hard work, being held accountable for their behavior, depending on others and being dependable, and being rewarded for their hard work on the field are all major lessons that will help them become better people. And like dance, they’ll make friendships and bonds that could last a lifetime. All the fitness and health benefits are just the cherry on top.
Art and Theater
These options are amazing for kids who have creative tendencies and who love to express themselves. They’re actually amazing options for introverts too. With visual arts like painting, illustrations, photography or digital art, kids learn to express themselves confidently as they learn new skills. Theater helps build up shy kids’ confidence and allows them to see that it’s okay to be silly, to let loose and try new things alongside others who are doing the same thing. It will help introverts face any fears of public speaking and master the art of effective communication. For kids who are already outgoing, theater is just an amazing environment for them to thrive. They will be allowed to explore the wide range of human emotions we all have access to, giving them new skills and memories that will last forever.
Debate Club, Language Clubs, Student Council, Chess & Book Clubs
Is your daughter an intellectual? If she loves learning and reading, academically driven extracurriculars are amazing at helping teens develop their skills and become better thinkers. Clubs that focus on things like debates or student council or student government help teens develop leadership, being strong speakers and getting comfortable in prominent roles. These days, we’re seeing a lot of energy and progress surrounding female leaders who are breaking molds and setting new societal standards. Encouraging your daughter to jump in and get experience is the best way to set her up for success.
Other intellectually based clubs like book clubs, chess clubs and foreign language groups will help sharpen her mind and help her become a more well-rounded, worldly person.
