Children learn what they see modeled before them. When it comes to being a good sport, are you demonstrating how to be one for child development? You may not have thought about how to teach your child to be a good sport, but it may be something to consider - especially if you think they’ll want to play organized sports.

Sportsmanship can be defined as the way you conduct yourself suitably to all participants in sports. Included in this idea is playing fair, striving to do one’s best, and losing gracefully. If these are qualities parents want their children to display, why is it there have been newscasts from around the world of parents acting just the opposite?

Your children may wonder why good sportsmanship is important. You may be wondering how to instill good sportsmanship in your children from an early age so it will be evident as they get older and need it.

Most children instinctively want to win and considered to be the best at everything. Unfortunately, the desire to win may cause some children to display poor sportsmanship rather than good. You might want to use some of these tips to help your child learn how to be a good sport.

When children are preschoolers their parents may have a tendency to let their children win. Although this is usually done from a parent’s love for the child, it can give them the impression that they can win at any game because they won against their parents. The better choice might be to teach your child how to play a game and then “let the chips fall as they may.” They might actually learn more about the game, and being a good sport, by losing at an early age.

If they complain and whine about not winning, let them know how much practice it took for you to become good at the game. You could also offer to play with them whenever they like, as long as you’re not in the middle of something else, so they can get better at the game and possibly beat you in the future.

Model good sportsmanship while watching sports on TV or in person. Cheer for your team, of course, but make positive comments about the opposing team. Say something about the good defense or how well the team works together. This teaches your child to enjoy the game, be a fan of one team, but respect the players on the other team.

Encourage your child and praise them when they show good sportsmanship, no matter what the game. If they’re not quite the good sport, acknowledge and address the negative behavior. Good sports play fair and follow the rules. Children need to understand the difference between being a good sport or a bad sport; your praise for positive behavior will reinforce that knowledge and entice them to choose the higher ground.

As a parent, you want your children to play fair. When you teach your child to be a good sport, remember they learn a great deal by watching you. If you’re a good sport, your children will be more likely to follow suit.

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Childhood obesity is a concern for parents and health professionals alike. In an effort to combat it, doctors recommend making sure your children learn to be active at an early age so they’ll continue being active as they age. Teach your child these eight fun games for preschoolers to keep them active for child development.

1. Hopscotch is a game that children have played for years. Draw a pattern of eight to twelve squares on the sidewalk with chalk. The children will place a rock or button in the first square, hop over the square with the rock, and then jump in the rest in sequence. At the end they’ll turn around and return, picking up their rock on the way. They’ll try to get the rock in each square until they get to the last one. They lose their turn if they step in the square with the rock.

2. Duck Duck Goose is another game you can play with your preschooler. Start with friends, family, or stuffed animals, sitting in a circle. One person is chosen as “It” to go around the circle, tapping each person on the head as they say “duck.” When they say the word “goose” that person gets up and chases them around back to their place, and they become it.

3. Most children have played Simon Says before. A group of children, or adults, stands in a line and “Simon” gives them instructions. As long as the phrase “Simon says” is given before the instruction, the group does what Simon says. If Simon says to do something but fails to say “Simon says,” the person who still does it is out. This continues until only one person is left and they then become Simon.

4. Tag is another game that’ll get your preschooler moving. Several children are chased by one child who is “It.” This child will try to tag the others, which will make the tagged child it. The children can play for as long as they’re having fun.

5. Bug Hunt is a game you may not know. Find pictures of bugs (ladybugs, ants, crickets, butterflies, etc.) and glue them to index cards. Give each child two or three cards and let them try to find those bugs.

6. Traffic Light (Red Light, Green Light) is a game where children are lined up on one end of a yard and another child plays the “stop light.” As soon as that child turns away from the others and yells “green light,” the other children move forward and try to reach him. The children must stop when the stop light turns and says “red light.” The child that reaches the stop light first then becomes it.

7. Help your child with a Treasure Hunt. Hide a gift and then create a treasure hunt where they’ll have to go around the yard or house, go through boxes, up and down stairs, to find their treasure.

8. Musical Chairs is another game that children love to play. Of course you’ll want to have a number of children (or adults) to play, as well. A circle of chairs are placed in a room, seats facing outwards, with one less chair than the number of children. Music starts and the children walk around the chairs; when the music stops the children try to find a seat. The one left standing is out, another chair is taken, and the music begins again.

Take time to play any of these eight fun games for preschoolers to keep them active. You’ll both have fun and your child will learn how to remain active and fight obesity.

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Children can run a parent ragged. Of course, if your child is active, they may be thinking about playing a sport at school. Choosing the right sport for your child may seem like a hard task, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some children activities pointers to consider when helping your child choose.

Child’s temperament

Think about your child’s temperament. Are they loners or do they enjoy spending time with others? Do they excel at competing against their self or are they competitive with others? How well do they follow authority? All of these would be questions you may want to ask about your child.

Some children are naturally athletic. They may be a mini-jock who is a natural daredevil. These are often boys, but not necessarily. Non-aggressive children can also be athletic. They may prefer being physically active but don’t have the “killer instinct” of a mini-jock. Some children aren’t particularly athletic but they enjoy being active. Sedentary children may not be interested in sports at all. If this is the case, you may not want to push your child into playing a sport.

Team or individual

If your child is interested in playing a sport, are they more of a loner or the center of attention? Does your child have many friends or only one or two? Answering these two questions may help you determine whether your child would prefer an individual or team sport.

Children that prefer to be alone may enjoy playing tennis, swimming, gymnastics, or martial arts. Children that thrive being around others would probably enjoy team sports such as baseball, basketball, volleyball, football, or soccer.

What age?

It may be difficult to recognize when your child is ready to play sports. Each child matures in their own time, so you can’t give a definitive answer to the question. Watch your child to see how they play with other children, particularly siblings. If they continually have disagreements or are physical with others they may not be ready or old enough to play sports.

Financial impact

Most parents would love to give their children everything they want; however, they know that doing so won’t serve the child well. Think about how much each sport your child is interested in will cost. Some sports, like gymnastics, require considerable finances, whereas a sport like baseball or football would cost less.

Time required

A sport, no matter which one you choose, will require both you and your child to spend a good deal of time on it. The child will have practices and games to attend; you’ll be expected to transport the child to and from practices and your child will expect you to attend each game. Of course, some sports, like gymnastics, require long practice times - often early in the morning and in the afternoon once the child has reached a certain level.

Choosing the right sport for your child could take some time if you want your child to enjoy themselves. Take your child’s likes, dislikes, and temperament into consideration when helping them choose. Then when you’ve chosen, stand back and watch them have a ball!

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With the advent of video games, it is increasingly difficult to get your children to get involved in healthy physical activities. So the pressure falls on the parents to think of exciting and creative children activities to get them involved. Here are some ways you can think of in order to get their fancy:

Although video games are a bit intellectual, it still involves spending hours in front of the television so have them participate in impact sports such as running, gymnastics, dancing and the likes. This improves their bone density and helps them to get fit.

This also helps develop healthy habits in them. If they are physically active as children, then that will most likely translate to the same when they become adults. This has a significant effect on their health especially in combating diseases such as cancer, obesity and heart disease.

The point is to lead a balance between home inactivity and exercises to keep your child healthy. Remember to always make it fun, fun, fun.

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