Parent Talk

Each week, our Parents Council of experts takes your questions, gives advice and shares solutions.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

This week’s question is:

Spring sports- baseball, soccer, Lacrosse, softball, etc. - are all on the way. But what are some good activities, clubs or after school programs for children who do not play sports? What are some local activities that are available at least several days per week after school that can be good substitutes?

Judy Vincent:

For girls, I think there are a lot of activities such as dance, gymnastics, yoga, and girl scouts. Sometimes, the libraries offer arts and crafts activities. I know a few parents of boys who have difficulty finding non-sports activities. 

 I do have a question to ask. Camps are so expensive and I'm very concerned about keeping my daughter busy. She is afraid of the water, so swimming activities are not an option for us. Any advice from readers would be really helpful.

Safia Sattaur:

 There are several great programs available at the Queens Library for kids and teens such as book buddies, chess club, movies and even tutoring. If your city does not have a program you're interested in, you can always check out the neighboring town to see what is available there.

Samuel Field Y also offers great after school programs for kids of all ages. They offer social and recreational classes from computer skills to cooking classes. There are also arts and crafts and some sports programs available. What's great about these programs is that they are of little or no cost, so most parents can afford to register their children without the stress of additional expenses.