One of the biggest dilemmas that parents face when making the decision to homeschool a child concerns the child's process of socialization. While children attending conventional school are surrounded by other children on a daily basis from the age of 5, homeschooled children can be more isolated. However, there is a variety of extracurricular activities that can be added to a homeschooled child's daily schedule that will not only serve to socialize the child but also to enhance the curriculum.

Physical Extracurricular Activities
One of the best complements to a home-based education can be participation in team athletics. Not only does physical activity promote good health and positive habits, being part of a team atmosphere is extremely advantageous to a child who spends most of his time independently. Hockey, football and soccer are all excellent examples of team sports that teach leadership in addition to athletics. Athletic extracurricular activities need not only be a team setting, either. There are many courses and lessons for children that involve physical activity, such as tennis, swimming and golf. Any of these activities provides the social interaction that homeschooled children are at risk of missing out on.

Artistic Extracurricular Activities
For parents who homeschool their children, it can be difficult to provide instruction in subjects they are not well-versed in. For some parents this is physical eduction, while for others it is art. Enrolling a homeschooled child in an artistic activity provides a creative balance to the curriculum. Choose your child's activity based on her natural interests and future goals to ensure that participation in the chosen activity is worthwhile. Piano lessons, dance classes and karate classes are all examples of artistic activities that are taught in a group setting.

Intellectual Extracurricular Activities
Most homeschooled children follow a rigorous course of study, and intellectual activities that reinforce daily teachings can be beneficial to both child and parent. Some experts suggest looking into after-school programs at private schools in your area that might welcome a homeschooled child to participate in activities such as chess clubs, debate teams and astronomy clubs. An alternative would be looking into community programs such as creative writing classes and spelling bees, which provide an educational link to the outside world that would not be present with homeschooling alone.