Childhood is such an important time in life.
The amount of knowledge a child can soak up is amazing. And what they learn during their precious youthful years can help them their entire lives.
This is why we’re so excited when kids, parents, and teachers alike take an interest in STEM games and activities. The concepts they learn while playing and building with LEGOS® can help them throughout school and into the workforce.
But kids need to be physically active as well. Playing sports can have a huge impact on their overall health, including their ability to learn STEM concepts.
Why Playing Sports Is so Important to a Child’s Development
Playing sports can benefit kids in three important ways: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Adding regular physical activity to a child’s routine will lead to a well-balanced childhood.
The Physical Health Benefits
Besides focusing on the food we’re feeding our children, we need to make sure they’re getting plenty of physical activity. Sports are a great way for kids to stay active while reducing their risk of weight gain and serious diseases, like diabetes.
The Mental Health Benefits
It’s easy to assume keeping a child’s brain healthy and active begins and ends in the classroom. Actually, kids get quite a bit of mental stimulation while engaged in sports. Physical activity has been shown to stimulate the growth of a child’s brain as well as boost their cognitive performance.
The Emotional Health Benefits
Playing sports is a great way for kids to socialize. Even if they’re shy or introverted, a child will get the chance to engage with others. Participating in a game can help them feel accepted and learn to get along well with others.
How Sports and STEM Activities Go Hand-in-Hand
With all of these benefits, it’s easy to see why balance is so important in a child’s life. When they get time each day for physical activities as well as scholastic activities, they’ll gain so much which will help them now and in the future, like:
- Better health
- Self-discipline
- Learning to work productively with others
Besides this – it’s another way to introduce some fun into a kid’s life, and to keep them from bouncing off the walls at home because they’re so full of energy.
The same can be said of our STEM and Sports camp. At Bricks 4 Kidz, we recognize the importance of balancing physical activities with learning inside the classroom.
But, another reason why we encourage sports is it can actually help kids with learning STEM concepts. Science, technology, engineering, and math don’t come easily to everyone. And yet, they’re important for everyone.
Fortunately, sports can help. Playing sports is actually a great way to introduce STEM concepts to children.
How so?
STEM Concepts in Sports
Math and physics play important roles in the sports world. They tell us a player’s statistics, how far a runner or cyclist can go in a certain length of time, and calculate the trajectory of a baseball. Physics can be used to explain why an athlete performs a certain way and how they can improve.
Gymnastics can be used to explain algebra and other mathematical principles. Kids can also learn about engineering when they learn about the equipment which gymnasts use to perform their feats.
Ice sports are a great way to teach kids about chemistry. They can learn about the various states of water (ice, liquid, gas). And they can learn about how the ice influences the design of ice skates and other ice sports equipment, as well as the techniques utilized to play the game well.
When put in a sports setting, learning STEM concepts might make more sense for some kids.
Because some things are best learned outside of the classroom, we’ve developed a STEM and Sports Camp.
Our hope is kids will discover a fun and enjoyable way to learn about STEM subjects.
A Well-Balanced Curriculum Leads to a Well-Developed Child
As much as we encourage children and their parents to engage in STEM activities on a regular basis, we also know a child’s time needs to be balanced. Children need time for sports and art, as well as STEM activities.
The great thing about many of these activities is they can be used to teach simultaneous lessons. Sports and STEM camp can teach kids how to reason, work as a team, and strategize.
When we give children a well-rounded education, we open so many doors to them, doors which will give them a chance to thoroughly enjoy their life and work in the future.