The end of the year is approaching, and the offer of various summer workshops and useful vacations for children begins to emerge. Many times there are so many alternatives that parents feel overwhelmed, since a good selection of the workshops to which they will enroll their children will be decisive to make the most of this season. Mag. Mary Castro, psychologist of our clinic, explains some criteria to consider to select the most appropriate activities that not only entertain, but also promote learning and the development of skills that your children need to develop or reinforce.

Key aspects to consider:

• Choosing together. First of all, the choice of workshops should be made together with your children. Let’s keep in mind that the aim is for the children to enjoy and show interest in attending these workshops
• Strengthen social skills. The desire to interact with other children will motivate your children to want to attend these workshops, strengthening their social skills and even their self-esteem. Remind them that they will be able to meet new friends.
• Motivation for the activity to be developed. Consider the activities your children would like to do. A good choice of the workshop to attend, adjusted to their tastes and interests, will make your children want to go regardless of time or distance, thus creating a commitment.
• Promote and stimulate creativity. Creativity in our children is vital for their development, as it will help their performance, skills and achievements in different fields such as social, academic and personal.
• Development of potential. When choosing a workshop, we must take into account the potential of our children so that they continue to develop it, are motivated and even become a discipline that is part of their regular activities.
• Physical activities that promote healthy lifestyles. It is recommended that during this summer you can enroll your children in workshops in which they have to perform physical activities, such as sports or artistic activities. These will be very useful for the child to channel the energy he/she has, to form routines that favor his/her health and, in addition, he/she will do it while having fun.

Mag. Mary Castro
Psychologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma