Clubs and activities that you can do to broaden your horizons and boost your college application are all around you. Many schools offer dozens of different clubs and activities that teens can do to showcase their unique skills. Many times, these extracurricular activities will also have competitions and shows that allow you to demonstrate your skills on a larger scale. Explore some different examples of extracurricular activities that you might enjoy.
Get Moving
Kids that are always bored, pacing or just have natural ability will love getting moving and building connections. Whether they want to work as a team through sports like basketball and baseball, or compete alone in martial arts and powerlifting, athletic sports will keep them motivated and teach them about working together. Team and individual sports can also be great for teens with excess energy or ADHD. Explore different athletic sports kids can try.
- Ball Sports: Team sports include football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and soccer. Teens learn the value of winning and losing along with the value of working together to achieve a goal.
- Swimming: Teens can choose to just swim for fun or can take part in a competitive swimming team.
- Gymnastics: Flip and tumble your way into strength and fitness through gymnastics and tumbling clubs or teams. These activities will not only build problem-solving skills and physical strength, but youth learn the value of trust.
- Martial Arts: In addition to self-discipline, this sport trains teens in physical strength and focus.
- Power Lifting: Powerlifting is a strength sport that tests the capacity of your body through focused training. It can be done as a hobby or competitively. Scholarships are offered to exceptional powerlifters.
- Cheerleading: This might include sports cheerleading or competitive tumbling.
- Skateboarding/Blading: Groups of teens might just hit the local skatepark together to test new tricks or they could take part in competitive competitions as a skating or blading team.
- Track/Cross Country: Build your bio by indulging in your love of running. This isn't just long distances either, you might be a sprinter or hurdle jumper.
Using Your Smarts
Are you smart? Do you have killer persuasion skills? Youth that love to argue or maybe indulge in a foreign language might enjoy more academic extracurricular activities. These activities will work to broaden their thinking and expand their skill set. Teens that really enjoy mechanics or have a love for science, problem-solving and math will thrive in these academic clubs.
- Debate Club: Use your powers of persuasion and research expertise to wow the crowds on a multitude of debate topics.
- Foreign Language: This can cover French, Spanish, Chinese and a multitude of other languages. In addition to adding to their resume, they might be able to spend time abroad.
- Entrepreneurship: Build your brand and design your own idea. These teens can also learn how to market their own products to become their own boss along with studying management skills.
- STEM: STEM club students might design a bridge or even solve real world math and engineering problems. They can also take part in competitive STEM competitions.
- Chess: You need to be able to understand and execute strategy in chess club. Not only do you need problem-solving and management, but you need to be anticipate your competition as well.
- National Honor Society: Learn leadership and service to your school and community through NHS. This club also shows that you demonstrate excellence in these skills to college advisors.
- Student Council: Gain political awareness and understanding of bylaws and school affairs by taking part in Student Council. Youth will learn to promote cultural awareness and human relations.
- Robotics: Acquire problem-solving skills, troubleshooting and mechanical knowledge while building and sometimes competing with your robots.
- Psychology Club: Student explore psychological theories, mental health awareness and new theories in the field. Students might take part in field and clinical studies.
- Creative Writing: Writing is the name of the game in this extracurricular activity. Not only do you write stories and on different topics, but you can enter your writing in competitions to win prizes.
- Book Club: Book clubers will be reading and criticizing different books usually on a weekly or monthly basis.
The Sound of Music
Musically gifted students will enjoy clubs and squads that revolve around music and dance. Whether they are using their voice, instruments or bodies, teens with a gift for sound might achieve great things in these clubs.
- Band: Band clubs might include jazz band, marching band, etc. While you might just play instruments at events, you can also partake in band competitions.
- Chorus: This club is all about singing in groups or solo. It can be school or church chorus, and you might put on shows.
- Ensembles/Orchestra: Different from band, this club might focus on one area like string orchestra. You'll also connect with other orchestras around you and take part in activities or competitions.
- Tri-M Music Honor Society: This is a club that is designed for musically gifted individuals.
- Pep Squad: Using cheers, dance and chants, pep squads might perform at their school functions or in the community.
- Dance Team: Whether it is hip hop or ballroom dancing, teens with rhythm and moves can be successful on a dance team.
Getting Artistic
Calling all painters, artists and designers. Artistic clubs get the creative juices flowing and push artistic talents through art shows and competitions. Youth that have an eye for color or a flare for the dramatic will have fun in these different clubs.
- Drama: Budding actresses or entertainers can gain skills through skits and shows in their school and community.
- Art Club: This can cover anything from painting to multimedia art. Many times, kids will be given a theme or create original works that they discuss or show.
- Metal/Woodworking: Creativity comes in all forms. In this club, teens craft works of art through metal and wood. Placing in a metalworking competition can also help you to earning a scholarship.
- Sewing Club: Future fashionistas with an eye for design can create anything from clothing to handbags for themselves or to put on display.
- Graphic Design/Animation: Enter competitions to create an original branding design or possibly a short animation. Some competitions offer scholarship money.
- Newspaper: Budding journalists might enjoy the creativity and research that goes into create the school paper.
- Yearbook: In addition to arranging images, teens in yearbook clubs will design the cover and layout.
Reach Out to Your Community
Extracurricular activities don't just happen within your school. If you want to work to make the world a better place or volunteer for a cause, you can try different community outreach programs. These activities can have you doing anything from tutoring your peers to building a house. Those that want to make the world a better place might find the most satisfaction in these different activities.
- 4-H: This organization teaches teens the benefits of helping out their community.
- Habitat for Humanity: Habitat for Humanity clubs in schools volunteer their time to help create houses for the less fortunate. The club might do a build or work in helping to raise funds.
- Key Club: In the Key Club, students make a positive impact on their school and community through volunteering and service. They might schedule events to clean parks, organize a food drive, work at a soup kitchen or collect clothing for the homeless.
- Leo Club: An offshoot of the Lions Club, Leo's work to identify a need in their community and make it better. Not only do they build friendships, but they gain leadership skills as well.
Finding Your Niche
There are all different types of extracurricular activities that teens can try. From sports to drama, these activities and clubs are designed to help youth grow and prosper through leadership, problem-solving and social skills. If you can't find a club or activity that works for you, take the initiative and start your own.
