Ask any parent what they want for their child and the answer is rarely “good marks” alone. We want children who are confident, curious, kind and able to solve problems. Textbooks build knowledge, but these qualities grow when children paint, play a sport, build a project or stand up to speak. Here is why activities, sports and projects matter so much in the early school years, and what to look for in a school.
Children learn best by doing
Young children understand the world through their hands and senses. A child who plants a seed and watches it grow remembers far more about plants than one who only reads a chapter. This is why NEP 2020 asks schools to use play, activity and experience as the main way of learning in the foundational years (up to Class 2), and to keep learning hands-on in the classes after that.
What activities, sports and projects build
- Confidence: performing on stage, leading a house team or presenting a project teaches children to speak up.
- Teamwork: sports and group projects show children how to share, wait their turn, win and lose with grace.
- Focus and patience: activities like pottery, chess or archery need steady attention, a skill that carries into reading and maths.
- Problem solving: building a robot or planning a project means trying, failing and trying again.
- Health: daily movement improves sleep, mood and concentration in class.
- Creativity: art, music, dance and drama give children new ways to express what they feel and think.
Projects: where subjects come together
In project-based learning, children explore a real question over a few days or weeks. A project on “our neighbourhood” can include counting shops (maths), drawing a map (art), interviewing a shopkeeper (language) and presenting to the class (public speaking). Children see why each subject matters, and they remember what they learn because they used it.
Sports are not a break from learning
Sport teaches rules, fairness, effort and resilience. A child who keeps practising until the ball goes into the goal learns that hard work pays off. Regular physical activity also helps children sit, listen and focus better in the classroom. The best schools give sports a fixed place in the weekly timetable, not just on sports day.
How to tell if a school takes this seriously
- Are activities part of the regular timetable, or only after school?
- Are there dedicated spaces such as art rooms, labs, a music or dance room and open play areas?
- Do children work on projects and present them?
- Does every child get a chance to take part, not only the “talented” few?
- How does the school share your child’s progress in these areas, not just in tests?
How we do it at Samar Global High School
At Samar Global High School, learning beyond textbooks is part of every week. Children use art rooms, a robotics and coding studio, an open-air pottery studio and performing arts rooms. They join clubs such as debate, chess, calligraphy and fireless cooking, and learn through project-based learning. On the sports side, our campus has a football and hockey field, a running track, an archery range and play areas built for little learners. Each child’s work is saved in a digital portfolio, so parents can see how their child grows.
Admissions for Nursery to Class 5 for 2027-28 are open. Visit our campus on Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana, or read about our activities beyond academics.
Planning a school visit? Read our guide: 10 Questions Every Parent Should Ask on a School Visit.