It can’t be stressed enough just how much physical activity is crucial for children’s growth and development. Sports can play an essential role in fostering their physical, emotional, and social skills. Children at this age are full of energy and eager to explore their surroundings, making them the perfect candidates for participating in physical activities.
Physical activity helps them to develop strong bones, muscles, and coordination. It also helps to increase their cardiovascular endurance and improves their overall fitness. Engaging in sports activities also helps to regulate a child’s weight, reducing the risk of obesity and related health problems.
In addition to physical benefits, participating in sports activities positively impacts a child’s mental health. Sports help develop a child’s confidence, self-esteem, and sense of belonging, as they learn to work with others and interact with them. They also help build social skills, improving their communication and making friends.
Moreover, participating in sports activities at a young age helps to develop a lifelong love of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. Children who engage in sports are more likely to continue participating in physical activity as they grow older, setting the foundation for a healthy and active future.
The EECEME partners recognized the need in their communities for all of the above and thus in the period since the start of the project back in 2021 up until now, through education and training of kindergarten teachers and sports trainers and being the mediator between the kindergartens and sports clubs in their communities, provided training and materials and an opportunity for further collaboration and continuation of the good practices that came out of this project between the educational institutions, athletes, and sports clubs.
Through spreading the word in the media and our social pages, we intended to provide information and bring closer the topic of active lifestyle and sport to the parents as well.
In conclusion, participating in sports activities is essential for the overall development of children in preschool. From physical and mental health benefits to social and emotional development, sports activities provide a wealth of benefits that will stay with a child for the rest of their life. It is important for parents and caregivers to encourage and support children in their participation in sports, helping them to lay the foundation for a healthy and active future.
The EECEME team
