Physical activity is a must for everyone in everyday routine. For children, it is mandatory and it has more benefits than drawbacks. Being involved in sports is a good way to ensure that they are able to incorporate a fitness regime in their lives in future as well. Sports have immeasurable benefits which are as given below:

Benefits of  Playing Sports Game for Students

• It ensures that your child remains healthy and fit. It also helps in building immunity and reduces risk of common illnesses or diseases.
• It gives an opportunity to children to interact with people at all levels. It involves communication, leadership skills, teamwork and following instructions.
• It helps to boost their confidence and self-esteem.
• It also helps to improve cognitive skills of a child. It requires planning, dedication, determination and perspective from all sides.
• They are also able to learn discipline while playing a game. Following directions, taking instructions and accepting the result of the games goes a long way to instill discipline in children.
• It is also a good way to release stress. The body is pumped with adrenaline while playing a sport and that causes the release of happy hormones that keeps you healthy and motivated.

Sport activities and games for children are a good source for developing all-pervasive skills that are essential to support them in a lifetime. Some of the outdoor sports games for kids to maximize their potential can be listed as follows:

Football :- Football is one of the most popular sports and has been one of the favorites for children. It requires diligent planning, team coordination and team work. It also teaches strict discipline and promotes muscle strength and stamina. It also improves balance and dexterity as it is required to maneuver the ball.

Cricket :- Cricket is a sport which is highly enjoyed, and learning cricket skills can be beneficial for children to develop good fine motor skills, stamina, body balance and hand-eye coordination. Hand-eye coordination is the key to becoming a good batsman. Children learn all these things in a fun challenging way.

Swimming:- Swimming has countless benefits as well. It is used not only as a sport but as a form of therapy in many ways. It is a support that once learnt will never be forgotten. You will always know how to swim. It is also a good way to work the muscles towards a fit and agile body. As swimming involves working on breathing techniques children are able to improve lung muscle strength.

Basketball:- It is a great sport that makes sure the children are physically active. They learn about both offence and defense. They learn to make strategies and how make quick passes which improves thinking and reflexes. Dribbling the ball encourages eye-foot coordination as well.

Bicycling:- Children love to bicycle with their friends. It is fascinating for them to be able to control a vehicle at a young age. The first thing they learn is usually a bicycle. It is important to learn cycling when we’re young because it helps us to learn how to balance our weight. It strengthens cardiovascular functions and improves strength in our legs and coordination of our reflexes.

Boxing:- It is an excellent way for children to be active and productive. It requires a lot discipline and hard work. They work on core muscles and muscles build up. They help in building focus and learning self-defense more than offence. It instills respects towards your opponent regardless of you winning or losing against them.

Skating:- It is becoming popular in today’s time and is a great activity for the kids to engage in. It helps in learning how to balance their bodies and develops agility. It increases muscle strength and is beneficial for cardiovascular fitness.

Running:- Marathons are organized by several organizations and are a good physical activity to ensure fitness. It improves stamina and develops lung power in children. It also reduces the risk of common cold and flu. Running ensures that the children focus, endure and concentrate towards their goal.

Gymnastics:- With a proper trainer and the right equipment, gymnastics can be very beneficial for children. They learn to balance and it improves their flexibility. Socially, it encourages a child to be fearless and strong. It also instills discipline as gymnasts have a strict diet to maintain body weight and have good core strength which is developed with a lot of practice and hard work.

Tennis:- Tennis is known for its competitive spirit. To play tennis, it is essential that the player is a quick thinker and has a good footing. It ensures that children strategize their moves, develop arm strength and learn proper techniques and how to aim the ball with accuracy. It helps building muscle strength and improves cardiovascular fitness.

Judo-Karate:- Under a good trainer, both these activities have many benefits. It is one sport that facilitates the overall development of a child in terms of physical, emotional and spiritual growth. It instills a sense of discipline in children. It is beneficial as a skill of self-defense as you are able to overcome someone twice your size or strength with proper balance and quick reflexes. It also teaches children to have self-control and focus.

Not every child needs to excel in sports but ensuring active participation in sports could help your child developing an affable personality. By encouraging sport activities, we can ensure our children are keeping physically and mentally fit.

Written By:- Mr. Abhay Kumar, Special Educator, MRIS, Noida