“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”

–  Fred Rogers

It’s common for parents to wonder how our kids are having a much tougher time of it, and how much more of a fun and carefree time we had as children. While trying to enrich our kids’ lives with extra-curricular activities we shouldn’t forget the importance of play! Here’s why playing and the outdoors should be an important part of kids lives’:

Reduces stress: Playing an outdoor game and expending that built-up energy is a great way to reduce stress in kids. The endorphins that are released when you are active are a major reason for this feel-good factor. As kids grow older, they require a certain amount of physical activity, and recent studies have shown that even children who are hyperactive could experience calming benefits from exercise.

Improves concentration: Many recent studies like this one seem to indicate that including exercise and fitness in your child’s schedule contributes to improving their cognitive functioning in class. This was also the case for children diagnosed with ADHD where it was found that a half-hour of physical activity before school resulted in better attention spans in the classroom.

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Builds social skills: Playing a sport has a social aspect as well! Being a member of a team helps children learn about team dynamics and how to interact with others to achieve a common goal. A lot of long-time friendships may begin on the sports field.

Moving towards fitness and health: Once you make a beginning to introduce physical activity as a part of your child’s daily routing, you are setting them up to continue with this healthy approach for life. As adults, we know how tough it is to make time for fitness routines in our sedentary lives, so let’s start our kids on this path early and make it a habit!

About ALOHA Mind Math

ALOHA Mind Math has been guiding children between the ages of five through 12 years to achieve academic excellence since 2007. The interactive learning process is proven to enhance a child’s math, reading and writing capabilities. The teachers also assist children in developing skills and abilities such as observation and listening that result in the overall growth of the child.

ALOHA Mind Math is currently training children all over the United States of America with more than 150 centers. For more details on this unique program, please visit alohamindmath.com or search for the center closest to you by using our locator alohamindmath.com/locations/.