What to look for when choosing a children’s activity – Little Voices

So how do you decide which activities are right for your child? There is so much to think about when choosing the best children’s activity

There’s been an explosion of children’s activities over the past few years, with more and more new classes opening up all the time.

And having spent the last couple of years in and out of lockdown, we all recognise that structured children’s activities play a crucial role in rebuilding their social and physical skills.

But let’s face it, we’ve all got certain restrictions when it comes to both time and money.

Choose a children’s activity that’s sustainable

As parents or carers, we’re all busier than ever. So whichever activity you choose, it needs to work around you, as well as your child.

If your weekends are generally taken up with children’s parties, or visiting friends & family who live further afield, then look for a class that takes place during the week. You don’t want to be paying for weekend classes that your son or daughter will be missing more than they’ll be attending! And regularly missing classes isn’t going to help with their development and progression, either.

Which is why Little Voices classes always take place Monday – Friday after school in-line with local term times.

That way, even as they grow up and their school workload and commitments increase, your child will find it easy to slot in their weekly 45-minute Little Voices lesson.

Choose a children’s activity with long-term benefits

Long-term benefits from an activity are important, so look for something that will enhance other areas of your child’s life.

For example, if you’re scratching your head for ways to help them conquer their nerves or presentation skills, think about enrolling them in some drama classes.

Drama has enormous benefits – emotionally, mentally, and physically. For example, drama will help your child to:

• express themselves non-verbally through things like their body language & facial expressions
• handle their nerves and anxiety
• maintain good eye contact
• develop good breathing techniques
• build their self-confidence
• project their voice (without having to shout)

Choose a children’s activity with tangible added-value

It’s important for children and young people to receive a tangible reward or recognition in return for their commitment to an activity.

When they’re very little, they may get a sticker for turning up to class, or a certificate when they reach the end of a term or complete a level.

At Little Voices, every child goes through the LAMDA examination programme. And because we make the whole process such a positive experience, not only do we take away the fear that the word ‘exam’ holds for so many of us, but every child comes away with their heads held high and a real sense of pride!

But more than that, it helps build their CV from a very young age. And as they progress through the grades, some exams also carry UCAS points that can help with entry to college or university.

Choose a children’s activity that’s fun!

However much you might want your son or daughter to do something, whatever activity your child does, it has to be fun for them! That way, you’ll feel more motivated to encourage them to keep going, and ultimately, they’ll get so much more out of it.

Yes, they might drag their feet a little on the way there (especially if they’ve had a long day at school, or are dealing with the general emotions of growing up). But watch how they are when they leave the activity. Are they reinvigorated? Are they happy and full of energy? Because how they are after they’ve done something is the real indication of whether or not they’ve enjoyed it.

Look for an accredited children’s activity provider

It might come as a surprise to you to learn that the children’s activities sector is still unregulated. This means that literally anyone can set up in business and run classes without somebody checking that they’ve set everything up properly, their classes are well-structured and age-appropriate, and they have all the necessary insurance and safeguarding policies in place.  Which is why it’s important to be well- informed about the classes you choose.

At the very least, ask the provider if you can see a copy of their current Public Liability Insurance certificate, as well as their safeguarding/health & safety policies, and confirm that their teachers all have enhanced DBS checks and the relevant qualifications or training.

Even better, choose an accredited children’s activity provider – one that has a kitemark which highlights they’ve proved they have everything in place to operate safely.

Little Voices is a fully-accredited member of the Children’s Activities Association, which is currently the only not-for-profit independent accreditation for children’s activities in the United Kingdom. This means that everything we do – our compliance, training, customer service, programme, and delivery – has been independently checked and verified as meeting the highest standards. So you can have peace of mind and complete confidence in our classes.

Try a class before you sign up

With so many classes to choose from, it’s impossible to know if your child’s going to enjoy it, especially if it’s an activity they’ve never done before.

Lots of activity providers will be happy for your child to take part in a trial class before you sign up for a full term. Sometimes you have to pay for these, other times they’re free. And if a provider doesn’t advertise a trial, just ask!

At Little Voices, we offer all children a FREE trial lesson so they can experience Little Voices for themselves. To find out more, just contact your local office, who’ll help you pick the right class for your son or daughter to try.