Physical activity has important psychological and physiological benefits for young people. It helps them to develop a healthy heart and bones, improves physical coordination, boosts self-esteem, instills healthy habits and helps to control anxiety and depression, according to the World Health Organization. Competitive sports build discipline and team spirit, although young people who don't feel comfortable with organized sports in school, could pursue an extracurricular activity that interests them, such as swimming, snorkeling, fencing, tennis or dancing.
Young people who take part in organized educational activities outside school can learn a variety of skills and become more disciplined and self-confident, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Through working alongside adults in a way that is not possible in school, they polish their social skills and develop a clearer appreciation of how skills and knowledge can be adapted to all types of learning, Teens who, for example, take part in amateur theater productions, meet people from all walks of life and gain a more sophisticated understanding of theatrical productions. Someone who joins a literary group might feel more confident about exploring experimental ways of writing outside a competitive high school environment.
Voluntary work gives teenagers a deeper insight into other people's lives and enables them to give something back to their community. It's also a useful way for young people to explore vocational interests. Children interested in a career in social work would gain first-hand insights into the profession by helping out at a homeless project or visiting elderly people in a care home. Some schools and colleges offer academic credit for volunteer work, while the hands-on experience gained through volunteering increase students' prospects of finding a job when they graduate.
Encouraging children to pursue hobbies they are passionate about makes them more disciplined and better equipped to handle setbacks, according to the Partners In Learning website. People more often excel at activities that interest them and children develop a clearer sense of their abilities and potential if they can pursue their passions in a nurturing environment. Children who enjoy drawing, for example, will enjoy taking part in extracurricular art activities; a child with musical or linguistic ability will benefit from one-on-one lessons with a trained professional.