School's out, it's 3.30pm. You know your preteen gets bored easily and can't demand they stay in all the time. But you want to know where they are at all times. So how can you ensure your preteen is occupied after school? Olivia Fletcher Finds out

Believe it or not, what you think your child would like to do with their time may not be their idea of fun. The key to beneficial extracurricular activities is to get children involved in something they sincerely enjoy that can still contribute in some way to their personal and social development. Youth worker Charles Adamah says: 'Talk to your child about what interests them. They may come up with nothing at all; on the other hand, you may be surprised. If you do manage to find something your child enjoys it can also be an advantage to you, the parent: 'No salsa class until you've finished your homework'!?

First identify what category your child falls into, for example, hyperactive children are unlikely to be suited to a crafts-based activity. An outdoor activity would perhaps suit a child like this, so find out what sport interests them, and remember there are many more sports than football, netball, and swimming. If you are willing to go that little further afield you may be surprised at what is on offer. For example, selected leisure centres in the London Borough of Islington offer activities such as rock climbing, trampolining, and junior ice hockey, with classes costing between £3 and £5. A great alternative to look out for is water sports; most areas have some kind of park or lake, even in London, where they have clubs offering children activities such as sailing, kayaking and canoeing. And many pools offer activities like water-polo and aquarobics as well as swimming lessons.

Another good starting point is the arts. Children are often creative and interested in some aspect of the arts, be it music, drama, fashion or film. As well as working in teams and meeting new people outside school, such interests often develop as the child gets older, and may be pursued as a career. There will undoubtedly be a local amateur dramatics society in your area, as well as courses and clubs specialising in the arts, many of which may fall under the category of youth clubs and be free for children to drop in, or cost just a small fee each time they attend.

Check what your local borough or council is offering, as every local authority has a duty to provide for its young people. Charles Adamah says: `Several boroughs have a youth arts team that focuses on young people; they should be able to give you a list of activities and projects in the area for young people. If there is nothing going on in your borough, complain.'

And don't forget your child's school. There are currently a lot of grants available for after-school activities, as well as new government legislation encouraging this. This includes initiatives such as Every Child Matters, which identifies five principles that are key to improving children's wellbeing. It requires local authorities to develop a plan over the next few years to provide what is best for children in their area, working with partners including schools and youth centres, as well as talking to young people and listening to their views. Louise Luter, assistant head teacher at Peterborough Primary School, told my child: 'As part of the new government scheme we have been able to provide great extracurricular activities for our pupils. We were able to bring in a local artist to work with our year 6 pupils along with Years 7 and 8 at the local secondary school. They really enjoyed it; they were able to use the secondary school facilities and talk to someone who made a living out of being an artist. We have also worked with authors and musicians.'

Alternatives to the telly

• Getting physical doesn't have to mean playing sport. How about dance? There's ballet, salsa and soca, and that's just for starters. And even the laziest youngsters will run like the wind if it?s in aid of flying a kite they've made themselves
• Encourage your offspring to explore the natural world. Younger children may be enchanted and educated by something as simple as watching birds in the garden or feeding nuts to squirrels
• Libraries often host story-telling sessions. Or check out your local bookshop and see if any children's authors are planning to visit
• Museums and art galleries regularly run free events for children in addition to their usual children's programmes
• Music's not all about endlessly playing scales on the piano. A local drumming circle or bhangra group may help your child get into the groove

my child - www.mychild.co.uk - is a new magazine for parents. Every issue gives the latest on what is being taught in schools, tips on how parents can help their children at home, expert and parent reviews on books, DVDs and toys, plus FREE SATs software and other family titles worth over £250.