B .E.A.M.: Parent-recommended enrichment activities for kids

As a parent who homeschools and believes that "the world is our classroom," I am always on the lookout for activities that will help enrich our kids' learning experiences.

This is because I believe that providing our kids with enrichment activities not only helps boost their skills and talents, but also gives them opportunities to meet — and relate with — other children and adults.

In the Philippines, we are blessed to have lots of enrichment programs that children can join, whether or not they are homeschooledt. Here are a few that my own kids have tried, or are still part of:

B is for Ballet and Basketball

When my daughter was 3 years old, she started taking an interest in ballet. She would twirl and dance and spin to her heart's content whenever she'd hear music being played.

As early as then, she wanted to attend ballet classes but we chose to wait until she was older before having her join an actual program. Right now, at age 5, she is enjoying her ballet lessons under Little Ballet.

Little Ballet (littleballet.ph@gmail.com) actually originated in Australia, and offers a creative and unique ballet program for preschoolers, i.e. kids ages 2 until 7 years old. Their teachers are trained to teach the themed program in an imaginative and non-traditional manner, while instilling ballet techniques and discipline in all their classes. 

My husband and I love that the program encourages creativity and pretend play, and that kids can come in whatever attire they like, as long as they are wearing ballet tights and ballet shoes. Our daughter always looks forward to her classes, and even asks, “Can I go to ballet every day?”

(Photo from the Little Ballet Facebook page)

Now, if she wants to continue with ballet classes after she turns 7, we might enroll her in a more "formal" ballet program, probably under Dance Plus. I personally know the women who put up this school, so I know my daughter will be in good hands.

As for our son, he started basketball training over the summer, at his cousin’s school, and thoroughly enjoyed it. We are currently looking for a weekly basketball camp that he can join, and are considering the one conducted by More Than Winning Sports Consultancy, which, apparently, is owned by fellow homeschoolers.

(Photo from the More Than Winning Sports Consultancy Facebook page)

Activities like ballet and basketball help our kids develop not just physically, but emotionally and socially as well. They help boost self-confidence and teach the value of discipline and hard work.

E is for Engineering for Kids

Some time ago, our kids were invited to attend a free trial class under Engineering for Kids. They had a lot of fun learning about basic science concepts while creating their own hot air balloons.

(Photo credits to my fellow blogger Roxi of MommyRoxi.com)

If, like me, you believe in the importance of science in our daily lives, you’ll probably like the programs that Engineering for Kids has. Their goal is to bring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), to kids ages 4 to 14 in a fun and challenging way through classes, camps, clubs, and parties.

(Photo from the Engineering for Kids Facebook page)

A is for Art

Now, I have a confession to make — I’m not like other moms who are into arts and crafts, and as a home educating parent, I feel guilty that I don’t do art with my kids as often as I want to!

It’s a good thing then, that my fellow homeschooling mom, Dindi Manlapaz of Likhang Bata Online Gallery, started offering art camps for kids.

(A peek at one of my 5-year-old’s masterpieces)

Our children have finished quite a few pieces of art under her guidance, and they will even be having their own exhibit — dubbed “SALAMAT NANAY” in October, along with Teacher Dindi’s other students!

What I love about the kids’ art camps is that they get to “meet” different art masters, so they learn about different genres and styles of art. They also get to use different mediums, like paint, pentel pens and the like.

Teacher Dindi’s art camps are held every Friday afternoon in New Manila, Quezon City. For more details, you can check out her Facebook event page.

M is for Music (including Kindermusik!)

Growing up, I didn’t take any formal music lessons nor ever studied music as a subject. (I took piano lessons but stopped after only a month, so that doesn't count!)

However, I did learn to love singing and different genres of music — thanks to my dad’s collection of cassette tapes and CDs!

When I became pregnant with our eldest child, I knew that I wanted to encourage him — and his siblings that followed him — to love music and learn to play an instrument. “Encourage” but not “force,” of course.

Just before our son turned 5, we were blessed to have him accepted as a scholar under Teacher Suzette Yu-Kho’s Kindermusik program. His sister soon followed, and over the years, we have seen how Kindermusik is more than just a music and movement program.

(Kids enjoying sand play during a Kindermusik summer class)

Now that our son is older, we’ve enrolled him in formal music lessons under Teacher Ford Pundamiera. He’s learned how to play different songs on the recorder, and his repertoire is slowly growing.

I never imagined that our son would “bloom” so quickly into a musician in his own right — he has even been trying to learn different pieces on his own at home, with the help of YouTube! I only have God to thank for his talents — plus his Kindermusik and music teachers, of course, for helping nurture them!

This September 27, our son and other homeschoolers will be performing at a benefit concert dubbed Musikalinga, the proceeds of which will go to Heartbeat — Pregnancy Support Services of Asia, which provides help and support to pregnant women in crisis.

(Come and support this concert for a cause!)

Music is indeed a gift that we can share with our children, and is a wonderful way to learn different “subjects,” too.

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Now, let me ask you — do you know of other parent-recommended enrichment activities for kids? Feel free to share them with us by leaving a comment below, or sending me a Tweet @tinasrodriguez!