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September 15, 2015

Five out of the ordinary extracurricular activities for kids

There are plenty of ways for children to get involved

Children Activities
Sewing Sewing/for PhillyVoice

Sew Philly offers after-school and weekend classes for kids ages 5 to 14.

Looking for an extracurricular activity that will inspire and ignite a passion in your child and pull them from the computer screen?

There are plenty of out-of-the-ordinary after-school activities for the Philadelphia-area children that cater to a wide array of interests.

Learn the language of Irish Dance

Celtic Flame School of Irish Dance

Classes are offered in Fishtown, Mayfair, Torresdale, Parkwood, Bensalem, Trevose and Doylestown

Irish dancers
Irish dance teaches you that hard work and discipline will take you far. (File Art)

There is more to Irish dancing than quick steps, bobbing curls and pretty costumes. The dance form focuses on concentration, memory and teamwork and can help a child to build confidence, develop a healthy competitive spirit and follow directions.

Switch off the cartoons. Make one yourself

Cartooning: 101 at Fleisher Art Memorial

719 Catharine Street, Philadelphia

Drawing
Learning to draw brings children's imagination onto paper.  (File Art)

Drawing is more fun when your surrounded by friends. On Wednesday afternoons, children ages 8-to-12 flock to the Fleisher Art Memorial's cartooning lab to learn the tricks to putting those ideas onto paper.

"With guidance by faculty member Pat Aulisio, students work independently on comic projects of their choosing while learning new drawing techniques to enhance their comics in a supportive environment that fosters creative drawing ideas while providing constructive feedback."

Registration for the Cartooning Lab is flexible. Parents can purchase a one-, five-, or 10-day punch card.

Acting: Take One

3114 Willits Rd., Philadelphia

Acting
En Pointe's acting classes are designed to allow the students to freely express themselves and feel comfortable trying new things. (File Art)

Acting can promote self-confidence, encourage public speaking and help your child become comfortable in front of a crowd. En Pointe offers acting classes in improvisation, character building, intro to theater and much more.


Master the art of Aikido

Old City Aikido

722 Market St., Philadelphia 

Martial Arts
Aikido is a Japanese martial art form that incorporates philosophy with movement. (File Art)

The Old City Aikido children’s program is focused on working with kids between the ages of 6 and 13 to improve listening skills, discipline and self-confidence while having fun.

The program uses colored belts to visually denote the progress of a child, helping to keep them excited and engaged, without competing with and comparing themselves to one another.

Sew Your Own Style

Sew Philly

800 S. 8th St. in Philadelphia

Sewing
By using their hands, children more fully integrate learning experiences. (File Art)

Sew Philly offers after-school and weekend classes for kids ages 5 to 14. Learning to sew helps children become creative thinkers. Much like engineering, to make a project you must first plan ahead and problem solve.


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