Everywhere I look, I see kids staring at smartphone or tablet screens. It’s like they are glued to these devices. With the progress of technology, children are introduced to smart devices at a very early age. More often than not, a child tends to get attached to smart devices and opts to play games on-screen rather than on real-life.
This issue is a serious concern for parents. Not only they are always distracted by these smart devices, they are also ignoring the vast world outside of a smartphone.
Outdoor activities and sports bring in the type of mental and physical development, which is essential for a child’s proper growth. There are countless advantages to playing outside, and this is what we will help you understand.
You may be wondering: So how can we get our kids to go outside and play? What kind of sports could they get interested in?
Lucky for you, this article answers all your questions.
Physical Advancement
Physical development is very important for growing kids. With these smart devices, they are staying inside to interact with them more and more. As a result, they are being deprived of the daily exercise that they need.
Youngsters participating in sports and daily outdoor activities can help to burn calories. Not only that, but everybody knows sports help children to stay in shape. Playing outdoors can help growing children to build and improve many important skills.
Here is a list of sports your little troublemaker may be interested in:
1. Baseball and softball
Both baseball and softball are famous in the US. This game is fun and easy to play. Children can even get started early by participating in their school’s sports teams.
The benefits of playing baseball and softball:
- Helps build physical strength.
- Improves hand to eye coordination.
- Teaches balance.
- Creates discipline.
- Build teamwork skills.
- Develop leadership skills.
2. Soccer
Soccer is an excellent sport that builds stamina and physique. There are famous players kids idolize and look up to. It’s a fun and competitive sport to play and also to watch.
The many benefits of playing soccer:
- Cardiovascular endurance.
- Builds up muscle strength.
- Improves flexibility and coordination skills.
- Brings balance and helps to control weight.
- Teaches to be disciplined and builds a sense of teamwork.
- Leadership and fairness attributes.
- Boosts self-esteem.
3. Bicycling
Everybody yearns to ride a bike when they’re young. First, help them gain confidence using training wheels. Slowly they will gain confidence and will pedal around on their own. Nowadays, hoverboards are great for exploring too!
It’s a fun outdoor activity that comes with some neat benefits:
- Helps to strengthen legs.
- Improves balance.
- Physical fitness and exercise.
- Maintains weight control
- Teaches discipline and self-confidence.
- Helps with family bonding and gives a sense of being free.
- Be aware of their surroundings.
4. Walking works too
Walking is probably one of the best types of exercise that everyone can practice on a daily basis. It’s especially convenient for children who don’t enjoy being too active in sports or games.
Walking can range from being a peaceful stroll around your neighbourhood or a simply just a random walk through the park. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to explore your surroundings, and stay fit and healthy all at the same time.
Here are some prime advantages of walking:
- Help bring balance.
- Great dexterity skills.
- Overall strength and weight control.
- The feeling of being free.
- Raises self-esteem
- Creates an awareness of the environment along with family bonding.
Emotional Advancement
Children who are more active in sports have a higher chance of developing their emotional understanding. By playing with other kids, they can better understand the concept of winning and losing, and how to deal with both in life.
Step by step, as the child grows to emotionally mature, they learn to adapt to different situations. With time by keeping a positive attitude, they get along with others.
They overcome difficulties by playing outside with other kids, they learn and grow even more as individuals.
Parents with jobs find it difficult to spend time with their kids on weekdays. But it’s highly recommended that they utilize the weekends to strengthen their bonds.
Here are a few things you can try out to benefit your child:
- By bringing them to a park, a zoo, or a children’s playground.
- You can go on a bike ride together or have a picnic.
- Invite your child’s friends over and have a backyard party.
Before you know it, you’ll find yourself having more fun than you realized you would.
Social Advancement
Too much contact with smartphones limits children to their comfort zones. This affects their interaction with the real world. Social media presence becomes more important than real relationships. But sports and outdoor activities take a different approach by making real connections and friends. Furthermore, being able to play or perform in team sports greatly enhances the ability to communicate, work towards a goal, etc.
Team-based sports are vital for your children to learn how to be a team player. Social advancement teaches your child to be a team player and help build better interaction skills – all of which are important not only now, but also later in life, whether it be in developing mature friendships and relationships, in the workplace in a professional capacity, or in interpersonal interactions.
Mental Advancement
Generally, all sports compel children to think on their feet. By practicing some definite and on-the-spot skills, children can become more perceptive.
A vital skill a child can learn from playing outside would be the ability to think analytically. To develop analytical thinking, the child needs to be present out there where all the action is happening. They need to be able to give a chance where they can solve problems quickly.
A prime example would be soccer. They need to assess a situation and plan out a move based on where their friends are. Planning a tactic based on all this information within just a matter of seconds requires some serious analytical thinking.
Moreover, by letting the children get out and enjoy themselves gives them a sense of opportunity to take a look around and learn about nature. Not to mention a bit of fresh air never hurt anybody.
In Retrospect
By being active outdoors children become more productive. They grow up to become more versatile adults. These outdoor activities improve their overall health and mindset greatly.
And it’s not just children who need outdoor recreation, adults need it too. Spending an hour or two with your child outside can help parents creating stronger bonds – not to mention all the fun activities that you can do together.
It is important to give children the opportunity to explore the outdoors, mix with other people their age, and see the world through their own eyes. Take the tablet away for a day and send them outside to play!
