How to Choose After-School Activities in a Pandemic
Eight things to consider when selecting an after-school class for your child during COVID-19
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Scrutinize the schedule. In-person classes should be scheduled at staggered times so there is no overcrowding or pushing past others when coming and going, notes Leo Young, founder of OptimizedFamily.com.
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Look at the supply list. Kids shouldn’t be sharing anything during after-school activities. That means that arts and crafts supplies, musical instruments, and sports equipment should be for individual use only.
Select non-contact sports. If your child really wants to play a sport, choose something that is no-contact (or has been modified to be no-contact), like socially distant martial arts, tennis, indoor rock climbing, just to name a few. These are easy activities to practice social distancing and not everyone is touching the same equipment.
Check out the class list. Ideally, the same kids should attend each class each week—the less mixing the better, notes Dave Pedley of YourCub.com.
Assess your child’s abilities. If your child doesn’t enjoy remote learning, then there’s a good change he won’t be thrilled with a virtual after-school program. And if she has a hard time keeping her mask on, then wearing one at an in-person activity might be a challenge for her.
Refer to the refund policy. Any program should have a clear policy in place—preferably in writing—of what happens in case the business needs to shut down due to COVID restrictions. Do they freeze your membership? Is a partial refund possible? Are payments or deposits carried over to the next session? No one wants to lose money so don’t overlook this important step.