I am going to assume that the question is asking what benefit children living in the Pacific region can gain from spending their time doing leisure activities. Since children are the same everywhere I shall generalise them, rather than focusing simply on aspects which may benefit children of that particular area. It is ambiguous what is meant by the term leisure activities, whether this means in the most general sense any and all activities which do not constitute some form of work - presumably school work - and as a result are done in the child's 'leisure time', or the more specific activities which are generally considered to come under the title 'leisure'. Of the latter, examples would be activities such as sports; for instance football, rugby, horse riding or tennis, as well more intellectual pursuits, for example chess, playing a musical instrument, or simply reading a non academic book.
The benefits of all these activities are manifold. To begin with they provide children with a healthy alternative to watching television during their free time. There is no reason why school has to be the only for a child to develop, socialise and mature; taking part in extra curricular leisure activities allows young people to do all those things in a relaxed and, perhaps most importantly, fun environment. On the one hand spending time reading or learning to play an instrument has obvious benefits for the child; not only can it be an entertaining past time in itself, it develops valuable skills, shows future employers or schools could even end up offering a career path. An rigorous mental activity such as chess can offer intellectual stimulation outside of school, whilst artistic pursuits such as painting, drawing or sculpting all give a child the opportunity to exercise the creative aspects of their personality. These activities offer something for every young person; for the academically gifted it offers a new challenge and a means of pushing themselves further than can be done by a school curriculum alone. For those who do not enjoy or progress well in school, these activities offer a new opportunity to do well, which in turn builds confidence and self esteem. Any child who spends a significant portion of their time doing any one of these activities which interest them will as a result grow into a more rounded individual, with more to distinguish them form their peers during later life. This can have material benefits, for instance a high grade in a musical instrument is looked favourably upon by Universities.
Equally, sports add a whole range of positive things to a child's development. Firstly, a child who takes part in sport is far less likely to be obese, and statistics suggest that an active lifestyle in youth correlates with a healthy lifestyle in later life. As well as these direct benefits, children will gain less obvious but just as valuable assets, such as determination, confidence, and the ability to work well in teams among people of a similar age.
The benefits of all these activities are manifold. To begin with they provide children with a healthy alternative to watching television during their free time. There is no reason why school has to be the only for a child to develop, socialise and mature; taking part in extra curricular leisure activities allows young people to do all those things in a relaxed and, perhaps most importantly, fun environment. On the one hand spending time reading or learning to play an instrument has obvious benefits for the child; not only can it be an entertaining past time in itself, it develops valuable skills, shows future employers or schools could even end up offering a career path. An rigorous mental activity such as chess can offer intellectual stimulation outside of school, whilst artistic pursuits such as painting, drawing or sculpting all give a child the opportunity to exercise the creative aspects of their personality. These activities offer something for every young person; for the academically gifted it offers a new challenge and a means of pushing themselves further than can be done by a school curriculum alone. For those who do not enjoy or progress well in school, these activities offer a new opportunity to do well, which in turn builds confidence and self esteem. Any child who spends a significant portion of their time doing any one of these activities which interest them will as a result grow into a more rounded individual, with more to distinguish them form their peers during later life. This can have material benefits, for instance a high grade in a musical instrument is looked favourably upon by Universities.
Equally, sports add a whole range of positive things to a child's development. Firstly, a child who takes part in sport is far less likely to be obese, and statistics suggest that an active lifestyle in youth correlates with a healthy lifestyle in later life. As well as these direct benefits, children will gain less obvious but just as valuable assets, such as determination, confidence, and the ability to work well in teams among people of a similar age.
