The Importance of Enrichment Classes for the Developing Tween

Growing kids constantly seek new ways to engage with the world in their own capacities. Making new friends, finding hobbies, and seeking more responsibility are a few ways tweens try to advance their life skill development- without them even realizing it! Afterschool enrichment or summer camps are a great way to create spaces for tweens and kids to explore their minds, abilities, and social independence in a safe and educational way.

There are four focuses at Enriching Kidz we prioritize in the development of our enrichment classes or camps. Thinking of what these classes and camps can teach kids and tweens and how these activities can affect their whole life. In our classes we teach hard skills, soft skills, while focusing on the tweens’ enjoyment, and quality of life. Each of these factors help kids and tweens grow confidence and abilities; empowering them to be who they are and who they want to be.  

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Hard Skills

Experiences at enrichment classes and camps educate kids and tweens as they expand on their own passions and abilities while learning ‘hard skills’. Hard skills are the technical skills and capabilities taught by instruction for specific tasks. Such as: baking, coding, editing, photography, and more! As an adult these hard skills are what we would put on a resume first to define the tasks we can do sufficiently at a job. Even though kids and tweens don’t have jobs, their hard skills grant them the ability to explore what they like and don’t like to do. Camps and classes also give space for students to grow their abilities and drive to be better at those skills. 

I remember my first baking class I took in the 6th grade; even years later the experience is still with me. It was an afterschool program that introduced kids to the basics and concepts of baking. I never had the aptitude for it, but the class helped me learn to adjust the ‘hard skills’ used and learn something about myself. It was a fun experience that showed me not only how I can use these learned skills in other situations such as cooking or artistic design (instead of baking), but also learning where I could improve on my baking skill in a safe environment. 

Enriching Kidz offers various enrichment classes targeted around hard skills like Sewing and Pottery Wheel, but also we have mini lessons interwoven with some of our other classes that are also taught like First Aid and budgeting. 

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Soft Skills

Afterschool and summer camp enrichment is worth more than the specific skills the instructors taught- there are also ‘soft skills’. These skills are the non-technical abilities that a person may possess and hone over time as their life skills. These skills tend to be more adaptable from situation to situation and are less stress heavy on specific instructions. Soft skills can also go onto our resumes, but they are more versatile from job to job, or task to task than ‘hard skills.’ Some of these skills include teamwork, communication, active listening, and time management. tenacity and critical problem solving. 

In some clubs kids have different learning styles for example, an art class. When I was younger I took a drawing class through a club at school. It was a place for students to practice their drawing abilities and learn from one another. In the club we were learning different styles of art through drawing challenges, weekly themes and miniature club art shows. This afterschool club has a lot in common with enrichment classes; students got to interact with one another and practice their abilities to communicate with one another on projects.They also had some practice public speaking and confidence as they showcased their creations. These experiences helped me and other students come to understand our own abilities and develop them through communication building exercises that were interwoven with drawing. 

Students practice their soft skills in each of Enriching Kidz’s classes all the time! These skills are integrated into the lessons based around the aforementioned hard skills. As an example, our Kidz Home Alone class teaches the hard skills of Microwave Safety and First Aid while also teaching about communication and self-sufficient responsibility with discussions around house rules and expectations. In each of our lessons we build a focus on both hard skills and soft skills for students to explore their environment and their own ways of experiencing the world and their own abilities. 

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Enjoyment 

Kids and tweens are constantly on the search for something new; something they are passionate about, something they want to learn about, something to do. Afterschool and summer Enrichment Classes are a great way to involve your tween’s passions and curiosities into their learning. Whether these interests are fast-passing or here to stay, supporting your child in their desires to learn and engage is a great way to foster not only your relationship with them but also in their self-confidence. In these spaces they have the ability to explore things they enjoy. 

When I was growing up “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins was new to shelves and I had gotten really interested in archery. My Mom worked to find me a kid archery group in our area for me to join and learn how to shoot properly and safely with a bow. Even though on the first day I was super nervous and unsure if I should go into the gym to learn, my Mom urged me along and advised me to try- and I am so glad I did! I found a connection to something I was really passionate about in theory and was able to bring it to an enjoyable reality. 

Plenty of classes have to at least intrigue a child before they start to learn from it. In many of our classes we involve hands-on activities for students to engage with and invest their time into learning. Even providing between class homework and activities for students to do at home. Our students really enjoy the group activity in Super Kidz Study Skillz which not only invites tweens into their own space for learning but also engages them with things they enjoy like talking with others, imagination and creativity. 
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Quality of Life 

Kids, like any other living thing, need enrichment! Enrichment could include things and activities that will engage your child’s body and brain so they can grow to be empowered adults. Growth does not stop outside of the school-day classroom, it expands to how your tween spends their free time and what they learn while doing so. Filling a child’s life with experiences that help them improve their own abilities and engage them in their passions is a great way to get your child started on their road to maturity. Enrichment classes and camps offer another space with potentially new faces for students to interact with and adapt to, while learning new lessons that accelerate their growth. 

Enrichment classes and camps, not only from Enriching Kids but from most places, help your student develop skills that can last a lifetime. Consider looking at our repertoire of classes here; we have In-Person, Online LIVE and Online Self-Paced options for many of our classes. Each class is developed for the benefit of your kid; teaching them skills in a small package that will greatly impact your child’s life. Enrichment classes and camps are merely one way to advance your child’s growth that also has many different benefits for them in the long run.