Prompt: Some people believe that engaging in an active pastime does more to develop childrens’ life skills than time spent reading. Ċ To what extent do you agree or disagree?

With the growing importance of having an interactive learning approach as compared to having a theoretical one, a majority of the parents have the impression that engaging in an active pastime can be fruitful for a child as compared to reading books. I completely agree with this belief and this essay will highlight how this development can benefit the childrens' mindset. Ċ There are several life skills that an individual can learn through playgroups or by joining a sports club. By including sports as part of their schedule, a child can learn several life skills that reading cannot teach such as teamwork, networking or cooperation, all of which are important when they enter the corporate world. For instance, as per research conducted by Cambridge University, 60% of the leaders and CEOs actively participated in at least one sport during their schooling, thereby giving them the ability to lead teams and collaborate at a company level. Ċ In addition to sports, playing video games can also contribute to building a child's mindset. With the rise in digital advancements, there is a lot of room for an individual to learn while gaming. The graphics and the design used in programming these games can trigger a child's creativity, thereby giving them the ability to think out-of-the-box and stand out from the crowd. Further, video games result in creating a flow mindset among the children, that is, forcing them to think ahead of time and plan for the next move at each instance. For example, in games like Call of Duty and Pubg, each character is forced to be constantly alert and plan ahead of their opponent's move. Ċ To summarize, while there is ample knowledge available through books, there is a lot for a child to learn through active hobbies. There is no doubt that sports and gaming can contribute towards developing important life skills among children. I strongly believe that parents should support this idea and encourage their offspring to follow their passion and hobbies.