When to Start Planning For Kids Recreational Activities…Now!
December 12, 2024
With the new year quickly approaching, now is a great time to start thinking about the year ahead. You’re probably already compartmentalizing key dates such as when to enroll kids in school/daycare, what trips you want to take, etc. so why not check organizing your family calendar off your list? In this month’s post I’m addressing some FAQs on how to get started enrolling your kids in extracurricular activities if you haven’t done so before and providing a few simple tips to ensure what you’re planning is doable for your family.
When should I start introducing recreational activities to my children?
There isn’t a straight answer with the increasing availability of parent and tot classes such as tumbling for toddlers, multisport clinics, music and art classes which focus on learn through play. It really depends on the parent’s readiness and availability to participate. Of course, there are also advantages to exposing your children as early as 1.5 to 2 yrs to activities which promote social and physical development. After all, the World Health Organization recommends ages 1 to 5 spend at least 3 hrs per day (not necessarily consistently) doing physical activity. In general, it’s never too late to start. Encouraging your child to try a variety of activities becomes increasingly important as they enter ages 4 to 7 and start to develop their identity into their pre-teenage years.
(Pssst…our Programs page is under construction but will have curated programs soon!)
How many activities should I have my child enrolled in?
Again, there’s no “right” number so long as the time you’re committing to these activities (including traveling to and from) doesn’t burn you or your child out. If your child is elementary age or older participating in activities which require multiple practices per week you’ll want to be mindful of including enough downtime or unstructured play. Typically programs available to 1.5 - 5 yr olds run anywhere from 8 - 10 weeks at a time year round (in SoCal) so be encouraged to rotate out different activities throughout the year without cramming them into the same time of the year.
Here’s some ideas of how I organize my family’s recreational activity calendar:
I make an annual calendar like this one and jot down programs I’m thinking about enrolling my kids in. I also keep a few alternatives listed in case we want to pivot based on how my kid’s interests/disinterests evolve over the year.
I map out how long they’ll be in each program (most programs/ team sports average 2-3 months duration, but some may offer extended seasons or year round)
Note key registration dates, and
Forecast our annual spend on the kids’ activities (if budget is important to you)
Welcome flexibility where needed to add or remove activities which clash with higher priority family commitments. You’ll also want to be mindful planning activities around weeks when you’ll be out of town for extended periods of time or multiple times within a month.
I find that mapping out the year ahead, or rest of year ahead if you’re starting midway through the year, helps alleviate some stress around keeping my kids consistently engaged. Studies show that routine is extremely beneficial for child development so even if you are rotating through different activities throughout the year, each activity helps reinforce this. Additionally, financial cost is often an important factor for families and mapping out the year including fees associated with each program helps us develop our budget.
These aren’t novel ideas, they’re practical. This is more a reminder to just get it done in whatever way works best for you and you can thank yourself later. ;)
Happy Planning!
Morgan