Why water-based activities are great for kids

Wanting to learn life skills while having fun – outside play is ideal!

As our world grows ever more sedentary and our kids are more often screen-bound than not, it is essential that they should somehow learn the life skills that they once would have gained through outside play. As their indoor lives make them increasingly risk-averse, their confidence levels diminish – this in turn impacts on skills vital in adulthood, such as decision making and resilience.

Why are water-based activities so educational for children?

Which is where water-based activities come in. They are a great way to teach work/reward lessons in an instantaneous way, as well as free kids from the classroom, giving them an adrenaline buzz and allowing them to connect with the natural world. At UKSA kids learn crucial life skills through a range of activities including windsurfing, dinghy sailing and kayaking, and our expert instructors are always looking to ignite young minds through active adventure and thrills.

Did you know team-games can help form close bonds?

There are naturally longer and more sustained benefits than a short-term adrenaline rush. A big percentage of UKSA visitors – teachers and students – have commented on how team-building games have enabled them to form bonds that simply would not have developed within the school environment. Human bonding, a skill taken for granted before the advent of computers, gives rise to respect, tolerance and empathy; the atmosphere in classrooms has been known to undergo an incredible reversal after a visit to UKSA.

Water-based games are exhilarating and a whole lot of fun!

Water-based games encourage communication (and buckets of shared laughter) while the exhilaration of healthy competition fosters determination and problem-solving. In a fun and friendly environment, having to make quickfire decisions that impact others can be an enormous boost to confidence. In turn, confidence aids self-reliance and independent thinking which can really help a young person after they leave school and have to negotiate the wider world.

Water-based activities at UKSA

Outdoor water-based activities are an important part of your child’s life and have a wide range of benefits across health, social and well-being. In an age, where children are so tech-savvy, it can be challenging for parents to take children away from television and video games. With our school residential trips, children are taken out of their comfort zone and introduced to a variety of activities they may not have experienced before.

The benefits

• Helps Children focus
• Teamwork improves social skills
• Gives children a new sense of freedom
• Uses the outdoors as a playground to explore
• Increases self-esteem
• Builds friendship & mutual trust
• Children leave with happy hearts and big smiles

Find out more about our Schools and Groups Multi Activity trips.