All mothers care about the quality of education their children are getting. However, paying attention to playtime is just as important when it comes to raising healthy and happy kids. The UN even classified fun activities as an essential part of children’s rights, not only because they’re beneficial for their emotional wellbeing, but also because they’re extremely useful for their mental and physical health. Fun activities that help children learn through play offer various advantages, such as improving memory and concentration, developing imagination, enhancing physical health, and enhancing emotional development.
Apart from these invaluable benefits, ensuring that your child is filling their free time with fun, enjoyable, and useful activities plays a huge role in forming their sense of self-worth, as they encourage them to be more independent. This will eventually strengthen their belief in themselves and the abilities they hold. If you are wondering what type of activities you should start engaging your kids in, here are four examples that are both enjoyable and useful.
- Nature Excursion
If you have always dreamt about the perfect bonding opportunity where you can start giving your child some lessons that will actually interest them, then going out and immersing yourselves in nature’s beauty is your golden ticket. Going on an excursion is the perfect chance to get your kid away from screens and the virtual world. Make sure to engage your little ones in preparation for everything you are going to need on your trip to give them a sense of responsibility. When you are finally out, take advantage of nature and start teaching them about the science and art of trees, stars, geography, geology, and more.
If you are living in a big city, you can find kids group dance lessons can be a great option to encourage their physical activity and social skills. This way they’ll also learn to appreciate their environment and be more environmentally conscious.
- Paddle Boarding
If you live near a body of water, be it a lake, river, or ocean, it is a good idea to make use of it. Just being in the water would have an immediate relaxing effect on your child, contributing directly to their mental health. There are many activities to do near and in the water. A great one can be using paddle boards for children to teach your kids to surf and encourage them to connect with our unpredictable yet beautiful nature. Besides demanding a sense of balance and a lot of core muscle work that would surely enhance your child’s physical well-being, paddle boarding and surfing are also good for your child’s brain. These activities also offer a great opportunity for social interaction. Your kids will be able to meet new friends who share the same interest as them, which will give them a sense of community and belonging that can be a great help for a growing child.
- Biking
There is no age limit for enjoying biking. Specifically, this activity offers a great opportunity for families to spend some quality time together, enjoying the mere joy of biking and being out surrounded by nature. Just peddling alongside other family members and letting your bikes take you wherever gives an unmatched sense of freedom. Not only that it’s fun and useful for strengthening the bond you share with your kids, but riding bikes is also great on a mental and physical level. The sense of balance required to learn how to ride a bike engages many brain functions while also training the body and building muscle mass.
- Photography
Besides physical hobbies, other easy hobbies focus more on culture education and expand your child’s artistic ability. Photography offers a huge range of learning experiences and some great benefits. For starters, learning a new skill and picking up a hobby is great for boosting your child’s self-esteem. This hobby also allows your child to express themselves and display their potential through creativity. It also encourages children to be innovative and more communicative about their visions, ideas, and thoughts without suffering from the fear of being rejected or judged for what they want to express. Apart from all of this, your child can benefit greatly from just carrying their camera and walking around to discover the world around them.
When you are picking a new hobby or activity for your child to engage in, it is important to include them in the decision-making process. Regardless of the type or nature of the activity, your kid must be interested in it and excited to be a part of it. Otherwise, they might not make use of any of the advantages the activity has to offer. It is also important to share these fun experiences together whenever possible to enjoy some quality time together and strengthen the bond between you and your little one.