ENRICHMENT
(Continued from Page 11)
school activities that develop gross
motor and fine motor skills. For
example, fitness establishments like
Sportsplex in New Windsor offer
pre-school programs where children
develop social skills, sing songs,
create crafts and play gym games.
Other local programs like Sports
Fitness and Fun offer classes for
children ages two through five. In
their younger groups, children work
on their social skills, walking,
crawling and jumping. The older
classes build a stong foundation for
athletic success by boosting selfesteem and by fine tuning
locomotor skills through fun
activities like climbing, tumbling,
swimming and jumping.
Cruse-Fordham points out that
not all children are naturally gifted
athletes, so there are programs
where kids can simply get moving,
socialize, practice teamwork and
have fun.
Limit activities during
the school year
Most experts recommend that
parents enroll their children in no
more than two activities during the
school year. If there is a huge time
commitment, limit it to one. Smith
says that when trying to determine
if your child should get involved in
multiple activities, consider your
child's temperament, how much
homework they have each night
and the amount of time each week
that the activities require. "Listening
to your child is key."
Find a safe environment
Nancy Moore, child care director
of The Greater Newburgh YMCA
says the YMCA after school
program is a safe haven for
children of working parents that
offers a well-rounded program
where kids can make friends and
12
Hudson Valley Parent
August 2013
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