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Drumming herself to sleep

Since Cordy is doing so well in preschool, I'm starting to look for other opportunities for her. School is now effortless, with no resistance when it's time to get in the car in the morning, and no complaints when I leave her in the classroom. Her teacher reports she has adapted well to classroom routines and rules, and she comes home happy every day. I've seen her interacting with her classmates more, too, which has been a big hurdle for her.

With all of these achievements, I think it's time to consider more activities for her. Her preschool is two and a half hours long, five days a week. I know she would benefit from more interaction with other kids, but we don't have a lot of playmates for her where we live. Of course, I'd prefer something more structured rather than running wild at a playground. Gently coaxing her to interact is necessary, or she'll spend the entire time in her own world.

The question now is what activity to sign her up for? There are dozens of activities available to the 3-5 year old set: sports, music, art, dance and more. Most meet one day a week for two hours or so - enough time to have fun but not so much that she's overscheduled and overstimulated. Looking over all of the options, though, I'm lost as to which to choose.

I can cross art off the list right away. Cordy's sensory integration issues are still too strong to ask her to stick her hands in paint or work with unusual materials around strangers. Not to mention I don't want to face the possibility of a meltdown in close proximity to paints that could be thrown everywhere. I've had to clean that up before, and it's not fun.

Music is a good possibility. She loves music, although it would have to be a class with no parental involvement, since I'm not allowed to sing around her. We have several musical instruments at home - give Cordy a set of bongo drums and she'll pound out a furious rhythm. I'd still worry that she would get lost in the music and not participate with other kids, though.

Dance or sports are probably the best bets for her. If other kids are moving, she's likely to join in as well. There's something about a group of kids jumping, dancing or running that makes her want to run with the pack. Now, I'm not suggesting she start formal ballet or hockey lessons. But there are a few groups in Columbus that focus on the fun of the sport or dance for the preschool age, waiting until they are older to introduce more structure, rules, and discipline. One of these could work very well to give Cordy more social interaction, learn a few rules of playing together, and run out some of the limitless energy she has.

Does anyone else have a preschooler in some sort of enrichment activity, like music or sports? How did you choose which activity to do, and does your child enjoy it?

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