Should I get my child involved with Sports and Activities?
- SAB.
- Jun 3, 2020
- 1 min read
Updated: Jun 19, 2020
Many adults know that activity is important. There are numerous health benefits to exercising and participating in group activities. However, parents might wrestle with this question- how early should my child be involved with extracurriculars?
What you may not know is that creativity, flexibility, self-control, and discipline are undeniable benefits from activities like computer games, aerobic exercise and sports, martial arts and mindfulness. These skills are crucial to executive functioning. Executive functioning refers to the mental processes that allow us to plan, focus, remember, and balance multiple tasks at once.
Sports help kids...
1. Develop Executive Functioning
This is important because these skills allow children to succeed both in and out of the classroom. Play allows children to adapt to new situations, imagine themselves in someone else’s shoes (empathy) and learn to become accountable for their actions. Developing executive functioning can also result in more peaceful children and adults.
2. Discover Self-Control
Self-Control is a determinant of health, wage earnings later in life, and number of crimes committed. According to a study published by the National Health Institute, children with less self control end up with “worse health, earn less, and commit more crimes 30 years later.”
3. Strengthen Emotions

… such as joy, pride, and social bonding. Early childhood play even prevents serious mental illnesses such as depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Brains need time and activity to grow. Getting very young children playing and socializing strengthens their mental processes and executive functioning. So to answer the question of how early children should be involved in activities, research says as early as possible.
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