It’s Back-to-School Season: The Many Benefits of Play for Students

Most parents are familiar with the benefits of play. From expelling energy, having fun, and engaging with their peers, play keeps kids young and joyful. Fostering a love of sports, movement or play early on can help kids continue to be active as they grow. There are good reasons for it, too. Low levels of physical activity can contribute to higher obesity rates in children. But physical health and fitness aren’t the only benefits of play. Studies show that play improves mental, emotional and social well-being, and teaches invaluable skills at all ages. With all the technology we have, we want to be sure our kids are getting enough movement and activity, too. Consider having them join an athletic team this school year! The benefits of team sports can enhance your child’s overall well-being and even their academic performance.

Collaboration and Teamwork are Benefits of Team Sports

Team sports are invaluable for learning social skills like collaboration, teamwork and empathy. Active for Life Foundation says, “With each player potentially having different strengths and weaknesses, kids learn to adapt their own play and work together.” Learning to work together towards a common goal is a valuable skill to learn as they grow older and realize they can’t take on the world alone.

In-Person Play Improves Social Skills

According to New York Behavioral Health, social media and too much screen time can stunt a child’s social–emotional skill development. Without access to real-world socializing, children may have difficulty recognizing facial cues. This can mean weaker emotional intuition and trouble accessing empathy or connecting to others. In-person play can strengthen emotional awareness and social skills that kids and young adults may struggle with in a post-COVID, highly digitalized world. Team sports are a great opportunity to motivate kids and teens to get active and experience the benefits of play.

Play Reduces Anxiety and Improves Mental Health

Building self-esteem early and into adolescence is essential for overall well-being. Several studies show that participation in sports is linked to higher self-esteem and lower depression and anxiety. Sports can give student athletes a sense of self-worth and help build meaningful friendships and social networks. Sports and play are safe spaces where kids and adolescents can experience disappointment and recovery, building resilience by preparing them gently to handle future challenges. 

Improves Grades and Behavior

A study on physical activity suggests that physical play “produces important changes in the brain, which mediate enhancements in cognitive performance as well as academic achievement.” Translation? Physical activity helps kids do better in school. Additionally, when kids have a chance to play — at recess, for instance — they seem to pay more attention in the classroom and have better self-regulatory skills and impulse control.

Team Sports for the Win

The good news is that no matter what age, kids (and adults!) don’t have to ‘outgrow’ play. You can get your kids off the screen and into the game when you help them develop a love of team sports. They’ll organically learn invaluable life skills, build self-esteem, and potentially get better grades — plus, they’ll have fun doing it.

At TenCate, it’s our mission to make the benefits of play available for everyone. That’s why we’re committed to creating spaces that promote more games, more teams and more play for your community or school. Our 24/7/365 play surfaces mean everyone can enjoy the benefits of team sports and play, and no one ever has to be left out of the game.

Looking beyond the benefits of play for even more benefits of artificial turf? Check out our latest, most advanced turf to date, Pivot^® Performance Turf.