Parenting has always been a realization and reminiscence of the blissful days of our childhood. During our childhood, our parents made sure that we are more connected to the world and the people around us. While they led our little minds to explore and interact with the world, they gave us the wisdom to find the difference between the right and the wrong. They wanted us to learn from our mistakes and experiences. They gave us the freedom to build our own worlds which were much bigger and unique than today’s generation. Kids learn through experiences and not through words. They imitate what parents do. When their play is restricted, they tend to lean towards the electronic gadgets and start creating their own world of experience around them. Our kids need ‘smarter’ parents, not smartphones. At TGS, we aim to create a bigger world for your kids where they can play and learn to excel in their life and we firmly stand by our tagline “Play, Learn and Grow Together”.

Our motto was further strengthened by the recent announcement from NCERT (National Council for Educational Research and Training) requesting schools to introduce sports and life skills in school, making it mandatory to allow one hour for games and sports every day for the students of classes 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Games enable kids to learn life skills such as Decision making, Problem-solving, Creative thinking, Self- awareness, Empathy, Coping with stress, Coping with emotions, Effective communication, and Interpersonal Relationships. While playing games our kids go through all these cores. It will make them take strategic decisions, helps with problem-solving, increases creativity and make them critical of their game plan. These cores create a self-awareness about their strengths and weaknesses, their opportunities and threats, an empathy towards their team members and others. Also, it helps the kids to cope with stress and emotions, improve their verbal and non-verbal communication skills and maintain good interpersonal relationships. Due to the paradigm shift from physical games to mental games, that is, playing video games instead of football, basketball or cricket, our current generation lacks these life skills which results in physical issues like drowsiness and obesity.

Parents need to create a conducive environment to interest kids to play from an early age of two years. Inclining an interest in the later periods is difficult because by then their interest would have bonded with the digital world by the time they are in school. So, it is necessary to allow them to play, like we played on the ground, allow them to handle decision-making situations and let them find the solution to the problems they face. Playing will improve their muscle development, increase their physical strength, teaches them team spirit and the ability to follow rules. Moreover, they will learn to admit criticisms positively and very important to accept success and failures as it is.

Thus, sports will enable kids to learn life skills as well as improve their mental and physical fitness. Evidence suggests that increasing physical activity and physical fitness may improve academic performance and that time in the school day dedicated to recess, physical education class, and physical activity in the classroom may also facilitate academic performance. Available evidence suggests that mathematics and reading are the academic topics that are most influenced by physical activity. These topics depend on efficient and effective executive function, which has been linked to physical activity and physical fitness. Executive function and brain health underlie academic performance. Basic cognitive functions related to attention and memory facilitate learning, and these functions are enhanced by physical activity and higher aerobic fitness. Single sessions of and long-term participation in physical activity improve cognitive performance and brain health. Children who participate in vigorous- or moderate-intensity physical activity benefit the most. Given the importance of time on task to learning, students should be provided with frequent physical activity breaks that are developmentally appropriate. Although presently understudied, physically active lessons offered in the classroom may increase time on task and attention to task in the classroom setting. In order to make their education productive and complete, we believe that playing, learning and growing together will shape our gems shine with excel and come out with flying colours.

Source: Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment; Food and Nutrition Board; Institute of Medicine; Kohl HW III, Cook HD, editors. Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2013 Oct 30. 4, Physical Activity, Fitness, and Physical Education: Effects on Academic Performance.Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201501/