I am a firm believer in extracuricular activities as a way to grow a well-rounded child. It can be costly to enroll your kids in sports, music and arts programs, dance and other activities, but if a parent values it, she or he will find a way to make it work. It’s about being expeditious with the budget, looking for waivers and other scholarships and grant offerings. Also, a lot of local communities offer free or severely reduced activities.

But if that isn’t enough, I want you to check out an infographic created in partnership with Discover about budgeting for children’s extracurricular activities. Not only are these activities important for their development, but they’re also a major part of the college application process.

Budgeting for these activities is important. For example, some families spend as much as 10% of their income on kids’ sports.

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