Extra-curricular activities refer to the operations performed outside regular classrooms. Extra-curricular activity is a combination of two words. “Extra” means “besides” and “curriculum” refers to the “running career.” Thus, extracurricular means all the activities outside the course.
Co-curricular activities take place along with curricular activities. These activities take place outside the classrooms, including pen and paper. They also provide students to furnish their skills along with academics. Being right in both academics and extra-curricular activities help students in facing the world.
Types of extracurricular activities
Co-curricular activities help the personality development of students. It is a relaxation to the body to focus on fun activities in schools apart from academics. There are a variety of curricular activities in school. Five major types of extra-curricular activities are:
Art
Art is the application of human imagination. Art for students is essential to widen their vision and foster their creativity. It encourages the alignment of student’s minds towards creativity. Art is a human form of expression. It allows the student to express themselves through art.
Music
Music comes from the heart. It comprises of pitch, rhythm, melody, tempo, dynamics, and form. Music is a means for relaxation of mind and body. It encourages concentration to focus on the sounds and beats and is a useful activity for self-entertainment.
Sports
Sports refer to all forms of physical activities and games. Sports are necessary for the physical growth and development of the child. The human body needs to keep moving and active; otherwise, it would get defected and prone to illness. Sports, as an extra-curricular activity, is essential for developing a student’s concentration.
Drama
Drama, in simple words, refers to the play written for television, theatre, film, or radio. The drama consists of dialogue and performance. It is a medium of developing public speaking and language skills in students. The theater also teaches students a sense of empathy for people. Drama is of 4 types:
- Comedy- consists of fun and happy ending
- Melodrama- consists of exaggerated emotions
- Tragedy- includes sad ending
- Musical drama- includes music and dance
Environmental education
Environmental education allows students to engage in issues relating to the environment. Ecological education encourages social awareness and improves problem-solving abilities in students. It increases the student’s awareness about conservation and health and wellness.
Importance of extracurricular activities
Co-curricular activities offer students to develop their skills in the non-academic field. Students nowadays have performance pressure to perform well in school and score good grades. In such a case, extra-curricular activities become essential. Without it, students become dull and inefficient. The importance of extra-curricular activities cannot be neglected. Its benefits are:
Improves physical and mental health
Activities provide students an opportunity to enhance their physical and mental health. It allows them to build their muscles and make them healthy. Mental health is also improved as the mind also becomes active with the body. Concentration power increases amongst students. It also helps them to express themselves in a better way.
Development of new skills
Extracurricular activities help students to discover their inner talents and develop new skills. Co-curricular activities are not a medium of fun but also lead to developing skills. It includes public speaking, language skills, creativity, imagination, etc.
Create opportunities
The importance of extracurricular activities comes into play while taking admission in colleges and schools. It provides an opportunity for students to make a profession out of their talent. Not all students are high achievers in academics. Being good at curricular activities provides students to discover their interests. There are lots of fields in curricular activities for students to excel.
Variety of activities
Extra-curricular activities comprise a range of activities. A student can pick the field of music if they are good at singing or instruments. Or they can want art if their imagination and creativity are excellent. There are ample amount of curricular fields for students.
Parents should understand the importance of extra-curricular activities in a student’s life. They should encourage their children to take part in curricular activities. The exposure these activities offer cannot be provided through theoretical knowledge.