Sportsmanship is essential for children to learn so they can feel good about participating in a game or activity without feeling frustrated from losing. Adults can create examples of showing good sportsmanship, but kids often learn more about being a good sport by playing different games and activities. Here are three different activities and games that encourage good sportsmanship.
Ball Games
Everyone enjoys ball games. Whether you’re tossing the ball for icebreakers or playing competitively, ball games are great activities to bring a group together for some fun. Games like kickball, baseball, volleyball, and gaga ball are all great options.
Although ball games can bring everyone together, it can be hard to communicate healthy sportsmanship. It’s easy for a child to get frustrated because they missed a goal or didn’t kick a ball hard enough. When a child feels defeated, encourage them to do better by practicing sportsmanship daily.
One popular ball game to include in your PE class is gaga ball. This inclusive game involves critical thinking and teamwork. Anyone, from a child to an adult, can play this game, and no skills are required. All you need is team spirit and a positive attitude!
Building Activities
Kids love exploring and doing things with their hands. In any game involving creation and criticism, you shouldn’t show favoritism. Showing favoritism leads to hurt feelings and low self-esteem. A building activity typically has a winner and a loser, but it’s best to show the difference positively.
One way to illustrate the difference is through a tower-building activity using building blocks. Building blocks are great for children who want to think outside the box when constructing a tower. Encourage children to think creatively when building a tower; this increases their confidence and ensures everyone comes out with unique ways of building with their blocks.
Self-Esteem Exercises
Sometimes, it’s hard for kids to understand the difference between good and poor sportsmanship. It all starts in the classroom, where kids have activities to show support to the winning team rather than putting others down. One activity you could try is roleplaying.
Children learn best when roleplaying, as it is an interactive, essential form of play. Give students different scenarios where everyone plays the part of someone winning a sport or getting an award in school. Let the students act out each scene to explore the different things each character could do differently to practice good sportsmanship.
You can team up with others in your school to promote better sportsmanship by playing different activities and games. Discount Playground Supply offers different equipment to make inclusive play possible for everyone, including portable gaga pits. By using our equipment and play gear, you’ll have better methods to teach kids integrity on and off the playground.