Here’s another reason to get your kids off the couch: exercise and play help form healthy and strong bodies. Outdoor play comes with physical benefits, especially for children. Muscular development is at its peak during these ages. Filipino outdoor games--such as
sipa,
luksong tinik, and Chinese garter--develop children’s muscular strength, flexibility, and endurance. They also encourage social interaction among children from different age groups. But whether they are played outdoors or indoors, games help develop children’s gross and motor skills, promote healthy competition, and challenge them to perform better in different areas of their lives, such as academics,
sports, and other endeavors.
Here are some traditional toys and games to teach, and play, with your kids:
For more games and activities you can do with your kids, check out these FN articles:
(First published in Good Housekeeping Magazine
, Good Family section as "Play Pinoy!" in May 2007; adapted for use in Female Network)
