Since the new millennium started, the society has been picking up and taking notice of the part that physical/recreational activities play in one’s life. After the emergence of television as a powerful tool to communicate with the masses, a lot of attention has been given on how to incorporate these activities in a daily routine and live a healthier lifestyle.
“In today’s increasingly competitive world it is imperative for children to enthusiastically take part in sports and recreational activities as this will give them that extra edge and confidence to positively deal with the problems that will confront them later on in life,” states Dr Asif. Healthy competition in these activities, whether it is cricket, swimming or squash will really help to boost the children's self-esteem, develop good conduct, enhance their communication skills and more importantly nourish their personality and health.
During these two prime summer months, parks and clubs are thronging with children. In order to combat the scorching heat of the summer, they enroll themselves in mentally stimulating activities such as visiting parks, museums and places of historical importance as they are the means of recreation for many, and physically demanding activities which include squash, badminton, volleyball, aerobics and board games to name a few. These physically enriching activities encourage children to interact with other people around them and enable them to become more socially flexible which will streamline them to become all-rounded individuals.
A few years ago, most activities such as karate, swimming and learning a new language were for the wealthy that had access, means, mobility and memberships to clubs that offered such privileges to only certain classes of the society. However, as the years have passed, leisure activities have become more accessible to the general public with parks introducing the same activities, especially sports and games at a very low fee that are affordable for all.
It not only helps in keeping one active and fit, but it is also a break for adults/children that feel their routines are stuck in a rut. Outdoor/recreational activities have emerged for children in the form of a blessing in disguise. Parents usually sit around and wait for their children as they get involved and indulge in their favourite activity, while they chit-chat with other parents present, who are keeping an eye on their little angels.
Another important aspect of taking part in these recreational activities is developing sportsmanship. Sportsmanship, which most children today lack, is that cardinal asset which drives children to positively accept defeat under any circumstance and use that energy to perform even better next time. “I would always feel lousy when my friends would run faster than me, swim better and play certain games better than me, but then I realised that defeat should not kill your morale. I got accustomed to being average and I would just enjoy taking part in sports. That is the essence of playing sports — you do not always have to win,” says Jasim Aslam.
During the summers one can see the height of such activities taking place at almost every club, park, dance and language centre. Most parents who cannot afford to take their children on a vacation abroad or in the country usually register for such classes a few weeks before school ends so that their children don’t sit idle at home, waste time or more importantly get engrossed in computers and get captivated by video games for the next two months. Many parents feel that a student’s life shouldn’t only be defined by academic pursuits, but should be a combination of both scheduled studying and extra-curricular activities. This will shape the personality of the child and will polish many non-academic skills in the process.
Recreational activities in a nutshell provide thrill and excitement for young children and help them exert physically and mentally; be it aerobics, dancing, music lessons or singing classes. Aesthetically-driven parents want their children to excel and value these as a performance and an art. This also leaves room for experimenting, since it helps build your individual personality and if you feel passionate about any particular activity, it could be a potential career and have a life changing effect.