Not all children enjoy sports and with passing years, the number of children shunning sports has become alarmingly high. Reasons could be many - umpteen lockdowns that have kept kids indoors, avalanche of electronic devices that are making their way into our lives, or perhaps - they are not meant for the sport you’re pushing them into!
Whenever we want to push our children to become active, we inevitably enrol them in soccer/basketball/swimming classes. Those sports might be popular but not every child enjoys them. To find a sport your child loves you have to think outside the box (or court/field).
These 9 choices aren't as ubiquitous as soccer or swimming, but they have a lot of quirky appeal and they offer just as much opportunity for fitness and fun as more traditional sports do:
1. Quidditch:
If your children are Harry Potter fans, they would most definitely love this one! In books and movies, players compete on flying broomsticks but in reality the game has been adapted for earthbound Muggles. Hundreds of colleges and high schools have their own Quidditch teams now.
2. Archery:
Thanks to popular movies, archery is making a comeback! It may be thousands of years old but hey, it's still cool. It improves eyesight, posture and focus over time.
3. Circus Arts:
Circus arts class or camps teach kids some of the coolest and safest tricks like trapeze, tightwire, acrobatics, stilt walking, juggling, trampoline tricks and unicycling. It’s a really good form of exercise - acrobatics and gymnastics combined. Plus it gives them cool tricks to show-off once school reopens!
4. Fencing:
People shy away from this ancient, aristocratic sport because of the widespread perception that it's an expensive hobby . That’s not true - intro classes for fencing are quite affordable (equipment is often included in the fee) and kids can start as early as age 6.
5. Futsal:
In this form of soccer, teams of five face off on a small, hard-surfaced indoor court. It's a fast-paced, creative game where no physical contact between players is allowed. So no more ouchies or sports injuries!
6. Field Hockey:
Many of us may have played this sport in high school and now it's making a comeback. It’s a fast, moving and exciting game that can be played by kids as young as 5!
7. Synchronized Swimming:
It's not just the Olympics and Esther Williams movies - real kids participate in synchronized swimming! It's barely as challenging as you might think and it’s rather fun! This could be the perfect match for a child who likes gymnastics, dance and swimming.
8. Water Polo:
In this mash-up of soccer and volleyball, kids get a serious workout in the pool. They must tread water for the whole match, never touching the bottom or sides of the pool. Looks fun? Because it is!
9. Surfing:
Surfing is seriously unusual due to its geographic limitations (you need waves!) but if you do live close enough to the ocean, there’s no better form of physical activity than this.
Let us know which ones you enjoyed and oh, don’t forget sending a picture!
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