You’ve probably heard the saying, “A little friendly competition never hurt anyone.” Well it turns out that not only does it not hurt, but a little healthy competition is actually good for kids! According to child development experts, competitive games, activities, and sports can help kids learn important lessons about empathy, team work, tenacity, and dedication. The social and emotional skills they learn from winning and losing in childhood can shape how they handle situations in adulthood, from going after a promotion at work to dating to compromising with roommates. So what does all this have to do with learning how to build family memories?
The Family Who Plays Together Stays Together
It’s harder than ever these days to make time for family fun, but that makes it even more important to carve out time for togetherness. When it comes to planning family outings, some parents are wary of competitive activities because they worry that kids will get frustrated if they don’t always win. However, that’s exactly why you should engage in some friendly competition as a family.
When you play games together, you have a chance to shape the way your kids look at competition. It all starts with being a good role model, so remember that your kids are learning from the way you handle competition and sportsmanship.
Family Fun in Charleston
If you’re looking for fun and competitive family activities in Charleston, plan your visit to Charleston Fun Park! Our family entertainment facility has something for everyone, so your crew can enjoy putt putt, go kart racing, bumper cars, mini bowling, arcade games, and even virtual reality attractions.
Challenge your family to a mini-tournament of all of your favorite games! Take turns letting family members choose which games to play next. We have old-school classics like Skee Ball and Air Hockey, as well as exciting new games (or new spins on the legends) like World’s Biggest Space Invaders. You never know who’s going to show off some unknown talent that you never expected.
After racing each other on go karts or channeling your inner Tiger Woods at putt putt, consider ending your visit on a unified note with a session in our virtual reality arena, Hologate. This immersive virtual reality game unites up to 4 players as a team in an alien apocalypse scenario. Can your family keep the aliens from taking over your compound?
The main thing to keep in mind when it comes to inter-family competition is to keep it fun, friendly, and healthy. You can tell if the competition is healthy when your kids ask to do competitive activities again, are able to win and lose gracefully, and enjoy learning and improving on their skills in the game. If your child doesn’t want to participate, don’t force it; let them see how much fun the rest of the family is having and they’ll come around eventually.
Ready to build family memories in an arcade dust-up or go-kart grand prix? Check out our specials for ways to save.