Co-curricular Activities: Meaning, Definition,
Examples, Importance, Benefits
Co-curricular activities facilitate the development of
various domains of mind and personality such as intellectual development,
emotional development, social development, moral development, and aesthetic
development. Creativity, Enthusiasm, and Energetic, Positive thinking are some
of the facets of personality development and the outcomes of
Co-curricular activities (CCAs) earlier known as Extracurricular Activities (ECA) are the components of the non-academic curriculum that helps to develop various facets of the personality development of the child and students. For the all-round development of the child, there is a need for emotional, physical, spiritual, and moral development that is complemented and supplemented by Co-curricular Activities.
Definition of Co-curricular Activities
Co-curricular Activities are defined as the activities that enable to supplement and complement the curricular or main syllabi activities. These are a very important part and parcel of educational institutions to develop the students’ personality as well as to strengthen classroom learning.
These activities are organized after school hours, so known as extra-curricular activities. Co-curricular Activities have a wide horizon to cater to the cultural, social, aesthetic development of the child.
Examples and Types of Co-curricular Activities
- Sports
- Musical activities
- Debate
- Model
- Art
- Music
- Drama
- Debate and discussion
- Declamation contest
- Story writing competition
- Essay writing competition
- Art craft
- Recitation competition
- Wall magazine decoration
- Writes ups for school magazine
- Folk songs
- Folk dance
- Flower show
- School decoration
- Sculpture making
- Fancy dress competition
- Preparation of chart & models
- Album making
- Photography
- Clay modeling
- Toymaking
- Soap making
- Basket making
- Organization exhibitions.
- Celebration of festival
Role of co-curricular activities in a student’s life
Co-curricular activities are the true and practical experiences received by students. To a greater extent, theoretical knowledge gets strengthened when a relevant co-curricular activity is organized related to the content taught in the classroom. Intellectual aspects of personality are solely accomplished by the Classroom, while aesthetic development, character building, spiritual growth, physical growth, moral values, creativity, etc. are supported by co-curricular activities. Frankness and clarity in language and personality are supported by these activities. It helps to develop co-ordination, adjustment, speech fluency, extempore expressions, etc. among students both at the school as well as college levels.
Importance and Benefits of Co-curricular Activities
- Co-curricular activities stimulate playing, acting, singing, recitation, speaking, and narrating in students.
- Activities like participation in-game debates, music, drama, etc., help in achieving the overall functioning of education.
- It enables the students to express themselves freely through debates.
- Games and Sports help to be fit and energetic to the child.
- It helps to develop the spirit of healthy competition.
- These activities guide students on how to organize and present an activity, how to develop skills, how to co-operate and co-ordinate in different situations-all these helps in leadership qualities.
- It provides the avenues of socialization, self-identification, and self-assessment when the child comes in contact with organizers, fellow participants, teachers, people outside the school during cultural activity.
- Inculcate the values to respects other’s views and feelings.
- It makes you perfect in decision making.
- It develops a sense of belongingness.
- CCA provides motivation for learning.
- CCA develop values like physical, psychological, Ethical, academic, civic, social, aesthetic, cultural recreational, and disciplinary values
Role of a Teacher in Organising curricular Activities
- The teacher must be a good planner so that the different activities could be carried out systematically throughout the year.
- It should be the duty of the teacher to give more and more opportunities for the child while performing co-curricular activities.
- The Teacher should act as an Innovator by introducing some innovative programs.
- The teacher must be a good organizer so that the students experienced a maximum of it.
- He should too act like director, recorder, evaluator, manager, decision-maker, advisor, motivator, communicator, coordinator, so that the student and child could gain a maximum of finer aspects of Co-curricular activities.
List of Outdoor Co-curricular Activities
- Mass parade
- Mass drill
- Yoga
- Athletics
- Bicycling
- Gardening
- Cricket
- Football
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Kabaddi
- Kho kho
- Handball
- Trips to the place of geographical, historical, economic, or cultural interest
- Mass prayer
- Morning assembly
- Excursions
- Social service in the neighborhood
- Village Survey
List of Indoor Co-curricular Activities
- Dramatics
- Music and dance
- Drawing and painting
- Decoration
- Weaving
- Clay modeling
- First Aid
- Tailoring
- Rangoli
- Bookbinding
- Cardboard work
- Leatherwork
- Organizing school panchayat
- Student self-government
- Art and craft
