Even the best after-school activity can be bad for a child if there is a poor fit or mismatch between the program and the child's interests. The website TeensHealth recommends that children look for an activity that meets the individual's likes and abilities. Without this, a child can easily become bored or frustrated with the activity. For example, an artistically inclined middle schooler with no interest in sports should not be pushed into after-school football. Instead, parents should look for a better match such as an after-school art club for the child. This is not to say that children should not try out new and different activities. Choosing a program should be done by taking many different factors into consideration and finding a good match.
Educational research is used to help create evidence-based best practices for programs and activities. According to the Afterschool Alliance organization, programs that rely on a research- or evidence-based basis for creating activities have an increased chance of helping students to gain better social and scholastic skills and improve participant self-esteem. A bad after-school activity may not be based on actual research, lessening any positive effects that the program may have on the children.
Many public school or community-run after-school programs may be subject to state staffing requirements and regulations. This means that program staff must hold minimum qualifications such as a college degree or a specific number of years of experience working with children. Some programs may even require staff to hold a valid state instructional teaching certification. A bad after-school activity program may hire unqualified staff members who have little to no experience working with children or in an educational setting. This may result in unstructured, poor-quality activities and/or a lack of adequate supervision for the age group.