Education is the right of every child, but does it mean education is only reading textbooks, writing notes and preparing for exams. Education is needed for the overall development of a child and when we say overall, it is mental, physical and moral.
For physical development, games or sports play a major role, and it is a part of every educational institute.
Now a days we see children, who cannot stand for more than 5 minutes, and they complain of being tired. They are not ready to come out in the sun. They like games but not the ones that need instruction and methodology. They are more interested in video games. Their lifestyle is passive.
Physical games or sports not only keeps the body healthy; it also sharpens the mind. Games teach us about sportsmanship, where participation with full enthusiasm is more important than winning or losing. It also teaches us co-ordination and co-operation. Discipline and punctuality go hand in glove, and we learn to be both when we train ourselves to play games/sports.
Children become more social and have confidence. They also learn to work in teams with patience and adjustments. Presence of mind is another trait they develop.
Playing games or sports keeps the body in good shape, improves the appetite as well as digestion. ‘Early to bed, and early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise’, this proverb holds good for anyone who regularly plays any kind of physical game.
Before the internet, we could see children playing various games near their homes. But today’s generation prefers playing but online. I have seen children play football on their laptop or TV, which is really ironic. This has also affected their immune system, and they fall ill easily. Hence it is time we changed.
Games is a very important part of our education system; and every child must be encouraged to participate and play. Work and play makes everyone happy always.