By Mattie MacDonald


Playground games entail much more than just fun and frolic. It is one of the first places where young children learn how to socialize and develop good sportsmanship skills through group activities.

A love of team sport is usually acquired at a young age during preschool activities when kids are also introduced to the basics of most sport codes. The bonus is that partaking in the playground games at school teach them much more than just good sportsmanship and sport techniques. Group activities also promote mental and physical well-being and equip a child with essential social skills for life.

Skipping, jumping and various ballgames are part and parcel of school activities during lunch time breaks. These games are not only crucial for a child's physical fitness and muscle development, but also help them to interact and socialize with different people in a group situation. This is the time and place where the foundation is laid for acceptable social and moral behavior and respect for others. Inappropriate conduct such as selfishness, bullying and tantrums are seldom tolerated in a group situation and thus a culprit quickly learns to either play by the rules, or be shunned.

It is said that kids can be the cruelest of cruel to their peers because they are too young to understand how damaging and lasting the impact of their words/behavior can be. A victim of such cruelty often suffers lifelong emotional problems as a result of traumatic childhood experiences. Any playground games and activities should therefore be closely supervised by knowledgeable and trained teachers or coaches who can skillfully intervene to turn potential playground fights into a positive moral lesson.

Young kids under four years of age should thus be constantly supervised. A wide variety of games are necessary to keep them interested since their attention span is still limited. Many preschools offer specialized training classes such as Playball where kids are introduced to most of the professional sport codes in a playful manner. By learning the correct techniques from young, the youngsters gain confidence and often develop a love for most sports. Mastering the art of kicking or throwing a ball boosts their self-esteem which is essential for becoming balanced, well-adjusted individuals. Children with a low self-esteem often become shy, unhappy loners or bullies

Group activities and team sport also help to combat social and health problems such as obesity, depression and poor academic performance. Happy, balanced children love to play in groups. Evidence is growing that physical activity and team sport might even increase a child's numeracy and literacy adeptness.

The social, physical and mental benefits of group activities and team sport are innumerable. Apart from keeping a child active, fit and healthy, it promotes values and valuable social skills such as good team spirit, responsibility, problem solving, patience and perseverance. They learn there is no I in the word team and winning is not everything. When a team loses, a child learns how to overcome failure and how to cope with disappointments in life.

The physical, social and mental advantages of healthy playground games should never be underestimated, as it lays the foundation for a happy, balanced and well-adjusted individual.




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