The Importance of After-School Activities in a Child’s Development

At Smiling International School, learning doesn’t stop when the final bell rings. After-school activities are for us as important as the classroom experience, offering students opportunities to grow, explore, and connect in ways that enrich their overall development.

We summarized here why for us after-school activities play such an important role:

  1. They Help Children Develop New Skills and Interests

After-school programs allow students to discover and develop talents that may not be part of the regular curriculum. Whether it’s sports, music, drama, art, or cooking, these activities provide firsthand experiences that build both practical and creative skills.

  1. They Are a Perfect Way to Build Confidence and Independence

Participating in activities outside the classroom helps children become more confident. They learn to make decisions, set goals, take initiative, and overcome challenges — all within a supportive environment. This sense of accomplishment boosts their self-esteem and encourages independence.

  1. They Support Students Empowering Social Skills and Teamwork

After-school experiences often bring students from different classes and age groups together. This helps children expand their social circles, practice communication, and learn how to work as part of a team. These are essential life skills that benefit them both inside and outside of school.

  1. Supporting Academic Success in a Safe Environment

Studies have shown that students involved in extracurricular activities tend to perform better academically. Why? These activities help develop time management, responsibility, and focus while being in a structured and supervised setting.

At our school, we believe that education is more than just academic achievement: It’s nurturing the children intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically. After-school activities play a key role in this, offering experiences that help our students grow into confident, capable, and curious individuals.

We are proud to offer a variety of after-school opportunities, and we encourage all students to get involved and discover something they love.

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Smiling International School

Smiling International School is accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education and it is also an International Baccalaureate® World School authorised to offer the IB Diploma Programme.

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