Relocating to Saudi Arabia comes with a lot of perks, but may also come with some apprehension with the culture not being one we are used to. If you have a family and little ones, making this relocation smooth becomes a top priority.
The development of your child’s life and social skills goes hand in hand with their education. And while you already know you have a large selection of options when it comes to education regarding curricula, locations and even language of instruction, you might be wondering what the situation is when it comes to their extracurricular activities, making friends and good old classic child’s play.
Extracurricular Activities and Social Opportunities
Children of all ages in Riyadh have many ways to spend (and invest) their free time, and many of these have found their way to the expat community and Antara. Among these, you will find children’s games that you may already know, with slightly different names or variations. For example, ‘the hunter’, a combination of hide and seek and tag, or Ghommemah and Fashkah, or even tabletop games you’re sure to have some knowledge of, like backgammon.
While playing with other kids or running around in a playground is a great way for your child to socialize, as your child grows older there will inevitably come a time where they will need something else.
In Antara, it’s easy to organize activities with the rest of the expat children, and easy to make new friends with the local children through workshops for arts and crafts which can be taken a few minutes away from your home, or take music classes to learn how to play an instrument or two. There is a plethora of programs and classes to not only help your child discover new interests, but also to cultivate their interests and skills, whether they are younger or older, such as the multifaceted Talentivity program.
Diverse Interests and Cultural Enrichment
If your child does not have artistic interests, not to worry, as there are similarly suitable activities to match every taste. There are a multitude of sports, martial arts classes and team practices to several science and technology centers and workshops for children interested in STEM to learn and sate their curiosity, with Mad Science standing out as the most popular one.
If your parenting approach prioritizes making friends and cultural enrichment, that is also easily accomplished with language, culture and dance classes in addition to the musical ones, where your child can learn traditional or international styles of expression through motion, or learn to effectively understand and interact with a new culture. Or perhaps, they would be the type to join a book club, with all the perks that it usually offers. This will pay off well – keeping in mind the activities of the King Abdulatriz Public library, such as the storytelling sessions for younger children, or a reading club for older ones.
Your child will have the opportunity to take organized trips to natural sights that are sure to take their breath away – both from their beauty as well as with the exercise!
No matter the age, nationality or personality of your child, you can be sure that while living in Antara they will not only be getting a top-tier level of education, but also a top-tier array of activities to help them shape themselves into the remarkable person they are meant to be.
