However, guidance is very significant for parents to know what suits their wards and where all they can access training under safe hands.
For kids, “sports” is like a bridge that connects with peers and induces feelings of cooperation, sharing, resilience, goal-oriented actions and making relationships. It also teaches learning to lose with grace and preparing to win again.
Numerous sporting activities would channel kids’ energy, make them focused, open to peers and new friends and social world. Let us consider a slew of sporting activities suited to the sub 12 age group.
Play date Ideas
kids under12 can join many sporting activities such as Rugby, Tennis, Football, Basketball, Badminton and Squash where an ecosystem of excellent training providers exist. They can groom budding enthusiasts into professional sportsmen of the future.
According to experts, children between 5–12 years should spend at least 60 minutes on physical activity every day. Although school time has activities, more physical activity means more creativity for the child.
From a scientific point of view also, staying active is vital for cardiovascular fitness, bone health, less obesity, better sleep, coordination and balance.
Sport is the pathway to an active and fulfilling life. Active kids become active adults. That is why encouraging kids to get involved in sports and games is important. Sport teaches life skills and breeds a positive outlook in taking on life’s challenges head-on.
Sports bring amazing benefits to kids in many ways. Physical fitness is one aspect and the best part is contribution to personality as it creates positive habits that travel into adulthood making them adorable citizens in families and society.
Parents can play the role of mentors and models in encouraging kids to engage in sports. Parents, teachers, and sports coaches double up as models and source of support and inspiration in the minds of kids.
Sports
Gymnastics
To groom your chipmunk into an ace jumping and rolling jack with perfect cartwheels and handstands experience have the guidance of professionals who dodge their injuries at home or playground.
Classes for kids at Electric Bunny will be useful where little ones crawl through tunnels and roll down slopes. They have door-to-door coaching services and extra fun to play dates.
The Little Gym and Kinetic Sports are great in terms of many options where Little Gym is a bit more innovative with preschool and grade school gymnastics programmes. They also offer music classes. Kinetic Sports has programmes for children with special learning needs.
Rugby
Rugby is a popular sport for kids and adults. The majority are run through Rugby Union.
Rugby is a fantastic sport to develop sportsmanship and teamwork sans any no nose bleeds and injuries. Rugbytots has classes for kids between 2 and 7, who can learn from shapes and colours to imbibe the skills of rugby.
They can expand skills to their teens at Flying Kukris, where teams are split by age groups and there are exclusive girls’ teams as well.
Tennis
Although a fun sport, it is excellent for great hand-eye coordination. Tennis coaching for children starts from the age of four and lessons are available at private residences or public facilities with a maximum of four per class.
Many global cities have Tennis Academy, which runs various programs. For Tennis, guidance from the professional teacher is also good. It offers private lessons and has programmes for kids (4 to 10 years) and teens (11 to 17 years old).
Competitive tournaments and social events will further bloom the skills. A broader training can come from an elite squad in terms of video analysis, dynamic coaching, functional training and participating in an international tournaments.
Badminton
Badminton classes for kids are available through private lessons and group lessons. Most cities have Badminton Association, such as Hong Kong Badminton Association (HKBA) with a great legacy offers junior programmes, school programmes and summer camps in badminton. These associations also got training classes, singles competitions, examinations, tournaments, and recreational fun.
Junior Squash
Squash promotes fun and staying power as a game. The coaching by One Stop Squash has everything to get kids swinging. There are one-on-one lessons and group sessions too. One-Stop Squash has calibrated training plans for beginners to advanced kids. Round Robin matches for existing students will further ensure the competitive edge.
Junior Soccer
The junior soccer programme is accessible to both members and non-members in many sports clubs. Their programme caters to kids between 5 to 12 with a dedicated Youth Development pathway and an exclusive all-girl team.
Football
Football is a popular sport among kids and adults.
There is no room to worry about little one getting hurt as junior soccer programmes offer and structured environment for junior footballers to train, play, and make friends.
Basketball
Basketball with its wonderful throwing, dribbling, jumping and catching has become a wonderful sport moving every muscle and a child can harness the total body coordination and expand its motor skills from a tender age.
Top academies have the best programmes from individual sessions to elite team building for boys and girls. For small children, Adventure Sports Academy has programmes tailor-made for different age groups. Children can scale up from basic basketball skills to advanced coaching in competitive environments.
Swimming
Early initiation into swimming is good as they get away with the scare of water and enjoy appearing in tiny trunks and monkey swimsuits.
Harry Wright International is a go-to place where parents can also get into the water and explore thrill with kids.
For a step by step coaching, ESF Shark Swimming takes to different levels and lets children have fun while learning and play with peers.
Karate / Taekwondo
Martial arts develop strength, focus and concentration. The traditional teachers teach the basic art form in terms of posture and stance, to kids from three to their pre-teens.
Martial arts like Karate or Taekwondo has many training programmes more than kicking and punching. It covers Basics, Kata and Bunkai with kids put to grading tests before they move to the next colour belt.
Hockey
Hockey is a great game with fast-paced swivelling and dangerous tackles. From the age of 8, kids can learn basic skills on how to score a puck at the Hockey Club.
Professional coaches guide them on various techniques in terms of running, and sweating, with smiles broadening as skills grow.
Brain Simulating Classes
There are multiple brain simulating classes, which teaches vedic maths, analytical skills, robotics or AI, Coding, data science, life skills, creative writing, debating etc.
Mindfulness
These are special teaching that emphasis on disciplining mind, and creating a focused and organised life, which is essential part of building a successful life. Dinacharya by Beyond Schooling offers one such training that teaches kids to build a disciplined life and chant daily mantras. These teaches extends into spirituality, religious studies, beliefs, moral and ethics, traditions, customs etc.