Extracurricular Activities for Preschooling Homeschoolers

Now that summer is officially underway in our house, school got out last Friday, I won't be posting much over the next month. But once I start curriculum planning and doing activities, the blog will sizzle with homeschooling excitement. :)

All this extra time to do stuff with the family got me thinking about extracurricular activities for preschoolers. Both of my kids are involved in activities outside of the home. My son was in gymnastics, karate and AWANA when he was a preschooler. My daughter is just now starting up with activities, and her favorite is baseball. She also attends a weekly gymnastics class, and we will pick up with soccer in the fall.

I am not one to tell homeschoolers that they must have outside activities for socialization. We believe outside activities just provide more fun and learning. Playing with kids their own age is just a short-term benefit, but not the reason we utilize sports and other activities. If you homeschool and need some extra activities, talk to your local parks department or churches to find out what's offered. While some activities can cost a lot of money, like karate and gymnastics, other activities only have a small fee.

I pay around $400 a year for the gymnastics, but only $20 for the baseball. AWANA programs are free, as are vacation Bible school and many other church activities.