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With the cost of education rising faster than salaries, many families simply can’t afford the expense of activities after school. Consequently, we’re seeing more children being babysat by television and a disturbing rise in the number of kids getting into trouble during those unsupervised hours between school letting out and parents getting home from work. To curtail this trend, many community groups are offering low cost, after-school activities for kids, which are designed to keep them entertained and productive until their parents can pick them up. In this article, we’ll look at some of these programs and where you can find them in your community.

A shaky economy doesn’t negate the need for fun and educational activities after school, with sports being the most popular and expensive. Besides administration fees, parents have to pay for equipment, equipment maintenance, uniforms, transportation costs, and sometimes out of town accommodations. There are several ways to reduce these costs and make sports more affordable for your family. Start by shopping for equipment and supplies off season. Items like hockey gear are much cheaper in the warm months when they are discounted. Don’t hesitate to buy used equipment like sticks, balls, skates and nets that are in good condition. You can score great equipment at 40-70% less than retail at second-hand stores that carry used sports equipment. You can also ask the team if they have used uniforms that you can purchase or rent. Don’t let old equipment sit around the house either! Sell it through newspaper classified ads, online or at a consignment shop for cash or store credit. This is a great way to offset the cost of new equipment.

For music lovers, there are also many ways to cut costs. Instead of purchasing a new, expensive instrument that your child may lose interest in, consider renting or look into your school’s leasing program. Some music stores subsidize school art programs by providing leases that you can pay for on a monthly basis. This pay-as-you-go method is ideal for a child who is learning an instrument for the first time. If you find that they don’t enjoy it, you simply discontinue the lease. Many music and second-hand stores also offer used equipment and sheet music at discounted prices.

Membership fees and tuition make up a large portion of the cost of extra-curricular activities. If one-on-one lessons are too expensive for your family, then there are more affordable alternatives. Organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Scouts, YMCA, YWCA, and Little Leagues offer inexpensive membership fees and activities at a very low cost.

If you are looking for activities after school for younger children, check out your local church, community center or library for play classes with small fees. Some offer kids crafts or other programs for free and they are fun and well supervised. For older kids, volunteering their time for a worthy charity or organization is an excellent option. Community run programs are always looking for volunteers and the activity looks great on college applications.

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