School sports are extremely beneficial. Learn more.

Physical activity is essential for children to develop motor skills. It builds strength, resistance, encourages personal growth and teaches them to adopt healthy habits that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

That’s why parents must instil a love of sport in their children and encourage them to do physical activities that they enjoy and which suit their skills.

Why is sport good for children?

• Sport strengthens muscles and bones. It makes children more resistent and protects them from possible injuries and growth problems.
• Sport improves coordination, re-educates posture, teaches them to control their balance and their hands and feet and reduces the risk of back problems (scoliosis, kyphosis…).
• Physical activity improves spatial vision and abstract thought because it encourages them to calculate distances, times, speed.
• Sport improves their self esteem. It gives children an opportunity to overcome obstacles and teaches them about winning and losing, which helps them to face up to problems.
• With sport, children control their behaviour with adults and children alike. It improves their attitude at school and teaches them to follow rules and to share.
• Sport has a positive effect on memory and the ability to concentrate. It forces them to remember steps and strategies, skills that they can apply to their school work.
• Sport strengthens the It improves the performance of the heart and lungs, which prevents children from falling ill so often and helps them to respond more quickly.
• Sport makes them socialise, helps them to relate to others and form friendships, which protects them from discrimination and isolation.

Which activities are best for children?

It depends on the child’s age, skills and preferences.

1. During the first two years of life, exercise should encourage psychomotor development with free play and activities that are accompanied rather than directed. Always make sure that babies are safe.
2. From 2 to 4 years of age, it is recommended that you stimulate motor activities such as throwing and catching a ball, learning to ride a bike, etc. This should always take place in a fun environment, with plenty of changes to keep their attention.
3. Between the age of 5 and until the pre-adolescent stage, children should be learning more complex coordination and balance skills and how to control their strength and speed. Activities such as riding a bicycle unaided, learning to jump, shoot a ball with intention or knowing how to hide. There should be few rules but they must be clear.
4. From 10 to 14 years of age, children start developing strength and flexibility and perfecting movement techniques. Activities such as basketball, football, swimming and cycling with skill. They can and should be capable of abiding by the rules of the game and learning to win and lose.
5. After the age of 15, the risk of giving up sport increases if teenagers do not find their disciplines. Competitiveness is at its peak and a child’s body reaches maturity. On a psychological level, this is the moment when forming part of a team, fair play, respecting one’s opponents and are obedience become extremely important to their futures. Any kind of group sport is beneficial.

Fill your children with passion for sport and healthy living. They will grow up strong and happy and you'll boost their values of respect and team spirit.

This post is also available in: Spanish