According to the National Association for Music Education, children of all ages can benefit from music lessons in many ways such as developing intelligence and improving the likelihood of school success. Toddlers can start an enriching music education early through after-school activities that involve instruments, singing or even simple sound-making. Although many toddler preschool programs do incorporate music into their curriculum, after-school music programs go above and beyond typical classroom learning and allow the child to benefit through specialized instruction from a professional musician or trained music educator. Examples of national extracurricular music programs that cater to toddlers include Kindermusic's "Our Time" toddler classes for kids 18 months through three years, Music Together's mixed age class and Gymboree's Music II or III.
Toddlers love exploring the world around them. The squishy textures of clay and bright colors of paint can appeal to young children's senses while helping them to develop important fine motor and cognitive skills. After-school art activities for toddlers often offer the child the opportunity to go beyond classroom crafts and coloring pages and learn about artistic processes from professional arts educators and working artists. Visual arts classes for toddlers may be solely studio based (i.e., making art projects and exploring artistic processes) or combine art making with visual viewing experiences. Museums and art galleries are the main types of organizations that offer a combined studio/viewing program. These can be found at many major museums, such as The Dallas Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum.
Mommy (or daddy) and me classes are parent-child programs that typically include music, movement and game-type activities. Recreation centers, parenting organizations, school districts and community organizations across the country all offer these kinds of after-school activities geared towards children of toddler age. Although the class content and themes may differ by the offering organization and geographic area, parent-child classes give both the toddler and the parent the opportunity to build their relationship while the child develops new skills.
Although toddlers may not be developmentally ready for intricate team athletics or more complicated games, they can participate in simple age-appropriate after-school sporting activities. T-ball, soccer and swimming are all extracurricular athletic programs that may appeal to the toddler's interest in movement and activity level. It is important for parents and caregivers to recognize that toddlers do not have the same attention span as an older child, may not have the self-control to follow exact sport rules and do not have the physical ability to play a sport in the same way that a more mature child can. The most important part of a toddler sports after-school activity should be making the program fun for the child. A fun-filled athletic adventure can help the child build a love of exercise and benefit her overall physical fitness.