Beat The Five Common Excuses Used To Avoid Exercise

Beat The Five Common Excuses Used To Avoid Exercise

Do you get all the exercise that you need?

Most of us do not.  How do I know?  Because according to the CDC, 66% of adults are overweight or obese.  This is a huge indicator that many of us are trying to avoid exercise.

Why don’t we exercise more often?  Well, there are several common excuses we use to remain sedentary.

If we learn to beat these excuses, we will lose weight, have more energy and live longer.
Why should we be motivated to beat these common excuses?

Exercise requires effort, so why should we bother?  Isn’t it better to just rest and relax?

Well, there are many benefits to regular, moderate exercise when it becomes part of your normal lifestyle.

Of course, one of the biggest positives is that it will help you manage your weight.  Are you overweight?

According to the CDC, overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or greater; obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher.  You can calculate your BMI here.

You might ask, “Why does it matter if I’m a little chubby?  Isn’t it just more to love?”

If you are heavier than you should be, then there is more of you to love, but you might not be around as long to be loved.

I know that’s not what we want to hear, but it is true.  Studies have repeatedly shown that as your weight increases so does your risk for many life-threatening conditions such as:

    * Coronary heart disease
    * Type 2 diabetes
    * Certain types of cancer
    * Stroke
    * Liver and gallbladder disease

You can stick your head in the sand and choose to avoid exercise until it is too late or you can overcome the common excuses, get active and become healthier!

If you won’t do it for yourself, then surely you will for your spouse, your children and the rest of your family.

Do you really want to become a burden to them emotionally, physically and financially?  I didn’t think so.  Let’s get busy beating those common excuses!
How to beat the five common excuses used to avoid exercise

Each of us has used various excuses in the past to avoid exercise.  I know that I’ve been guilty of this myself, so believe me when I say that I’m NOT judging you if you’ve used one of these.  The key is to admit the truth and then get busy getting healthier.

Here are the five common excuses I’ve heard or used:

Excuse #1 – I don’t have the time to exercise.

This is a very flimsy excuse to avoid exercise because we always have time for what we make a priority.  In addition, exercise does not take a lot of time if you keep it simple.

A good cardio routine that lasts 20 to 30 minutes a day can have a very positive effect on your health.  It burns calories, reduces stress and contributes to good circulatory health.

We can all spare a half an hour a day for something so important.  You can walk on your lunch hour or combine exercise with recreation to kill two birds with one stone.

Excuse #2 -  I’m too tired to exercise.

Exercising will actually build up your stamina not wear you out.  Sure, there are times when I feel too tired to exercise as well, but when I go ahead anyway I always feel better as a result.

Exercise releases endorphins that help reduce stress and improve emotional states.  If you feel tired, then exercise will actually help you feel better!

A vigorous exercise routine will also help you sleep better which means that you will get better rest and start having more energy.  This excuse too is a very flimsy way to avoid exercise.

Excuse #3 – I cannot afford the right equipment or gym membership.

Getting the needed exercise does not require anything really.  You can walk, do aerobics or just run in place.  The key is simply to get your heart rate up.

I have a stationary bike that I bought at Walmart for $99.  I’ve been using this same bike for several years.  I keep it in my walk-in closet and read a book while I’m riding.

Most of us already have all we need to get a good workout.  Lack of money is not an excuse for avoiding exercise.  You just need to get off the couch and make it happen!

Excuse #4 – I hate exercising and it is boring!

I used to use this excuse quite frequently.  It was my personal favorite.  The thing is I feel so much better after I exercise that now I can’t stop.

However, I had to find the right thing for me.  Riding the stationary bike allows me to read while I exercise.  This overcomes the boredom and makes the time fly by.

If you have used this excuse, then I suggest that you broaden your view of exercise.  Think outside the box and find something that works for your unique personality.

Excuse #5 – Exercise does not help me lose weight.

I recently heard a respected doctor say that it is physiologically impossible to gain weight if you are burning more calories than you are consuming.  The CDC backs up this claim with their Caloric Balance Equation.

The combination of moderate to vigorous exercise combined with a reduction in the calories you consume will result in weight loss.  There is no way around it.

Regular physical exercise is a key ingredient to losing weight and staying healthy.
Push the common excuses aside and exercise for your well-being

I often wonder what I did before I started exercising regularly.  It has such a positive impact on how I feel that the real health benefits are just gravy.

Beating the common excuses to avoiding exercise isn’t all that hard.  The hard part is just getting up and getting started.

Once you do it you are likely to be just like me.  You will find it so beneficial that you won’t want to stop!

Do you exercise regularly or do you avoid it at all costs?

Source : http://mysuperchargedlife.com/blog/beat-the-five-common-excuses-used-to-avoid-exercise/

12 Way To Exercise Your Brain

Exercising your brain is essential to good mental health.  When it comes to your mind, the old adage “use it or lose it” truly applies.  Exercise is just as important to your brain as it is to your body if you want to stay mentally keen.

Our brains need stimulation and challenging tasks to retain cognitive and memory skills.  Do you have difficulty finding the right word when its on the tip of your tongue?  Are you forgetful?  Do you lose your train of thought?  You might consider trying to exercise your brain to keep your mental acuity.
Fantastic Ways to Exercise Your Brain!

1.  Do an art project like sculpting or painting

Art projects are great exercise for your brain.  They require you to be creative, use fine motor skills, and think analytically.  Enroll in an art class to get started.  Art can be fun, challenging and rewarding.  You’ll expand your horizons while exercising your mind.

2.  Expand your vocabulary

A strong vocabulary is one of the best indicators of intelligence.  Sign up for a service like Vocab Vitamins for a word a day newsletter.  You can then practice working the new words you learn into everyday conversations.  This will keep you mentally active and thinking.

3.  Practice visualization techniques

Creative visualization is the technique of using one’s imagination to create a mental image of what one desires.  In other words, visualization is the art of putting daydreaming to good use.  You can use visualization to exercise your creative faculties keeping them alive and well.

4.  Throw away the calculator

Do math the old-fashioned way to exercise your brain.  Sometimes it seems hard to even remember how to do basic math in our heads.  This is mental flabbiness.  The best way to overcome it is the same way we learned math in the first place.  Practice, practice, practice!

5.  Sing along to your favorite song

Fire up the 8-track and howl out at the top of your lungs.  Memorizing and recalling the lyrics of songs you love is a great way to exercise your brain.  It can also be a lot of fun!  Of course, your family and neighbors might disagree with me.

6.  Learn to play a musical instrument

Not a lead singer?  Then you might try out for the band instead.  Learning to play an instrument can be challenging.  This makes the perfect exercise for your brain.  You want to be challenged.  Push your mind and discover how much it still has to offer you.

7.  Memorize poetry and wisdom literature

Memorize and recite a love poem to your significant other.  They’ll love you for it and so will your brain.  Of course, if poetry isn’t your thang, then you can always memorize passages from classic wisdom literature or your favorite joke book!  Suit yourself.

8.  Solve a few brain teasers

Brain teasers come in all forms.  There are the ones you solve on paper and the ones where you try to untangle a seemingly impossible puzzle.  Either kind will serve our purpose.  The trick really is just to get your mind working harder than normal.

9.  Use a brain training video game

A great example of this is Brain Age for the Nintendo DS.  Brain Age gives your mind a workout by having you solve simple math problems, count currency, draw pictures on the Nintendo DS touch screen, and unscramble letters.  The great thing about the Nintendo DS is that it is portable so you can take it with you anywhere.

10.  Study a foreign language

Developing new language skills is a great workout for the mind.  Plus, bilingual people are in demand in many professions.  Learning to speak another language might not only help your brain, but it could benefit your bank account too!

11.  Assemble bikes, toys and furniture

As the man of the house, I often find myself putting together all kinds of things.  These projects are great exercise for the brain.  You know what I mean.  It is like a giant puzzle with a million tiny parts.  Don’t worry if you have a couple of leftovers.  That always happens to me too!

12.  Get rid of the GPS and use a map instead

Manually plan the route for your next road trip.  This engages your imagination and analytical skills.  We’ve become too reliant on our technological toys.  We need to stop letting the gadgets do all the thinking for us!
Exercise your brain and you can forget about memory leaks!

A good mental exercise regimen for your brain will help you stay sharp and keep your smarts.  I’m old enough that I already see the memory leaks starting to occur.  I have to take every opportunity to keep my mind in tip-top shape.  I plan to live a long, full life and I want to do everything possible to be sure my mind is able to keep up!

What do you do to stay mentally sharp?

How To Train Your Brain

In order to stay sharp, it is important that you exercise your brain.  The less we use our minds, the duller they become.  There is a lot of emphasis these days on staying physically healthy, but we should also be concerned for our mental well-being.  Our brains continue to expand and adapt to the stimuli they receive throughout our lives.  The more we take care of our brains, the better thinkers we become.  Here are twenty ways that you can develop a training regimen for your brain!

 1.  Read a good book.

Reading a book stimulates the imagination.  Your brain can’t keep from drawing mental pictures when you read.  Reading gets your mind off its butt and to work.  I love to let a book carry me away.  I always have a book that I’m reading and sometimes I have 3 or 4!  I get most of my books from the library to avoid the cost of buying each one.  This also allows me to try a wide variety of books without risk.

2.  Big Brain Academy.

Video games have a bad reputation for causing brain rot, but there are some that will actually help you strengthen your mind.  I like Big Brain Academy for the Wii.  It is a collection of brain teasers that tests your mental acuity.  The tests are entertaining and addicting.  You can even compete with others which makes for some great family fun.

3.  Practice meditation.

Don’t worry, I’m not going off the new age deep-end here.  There are a lot of different forms of meditation.  To me, in its most simple form, meditation is about spending a little time alone to relax and center your thoughts.  It is amazingly therapeutic.  If you haven’t tried meditation before, I would highly recommend reading this guide to meditation.

4.  Get plenty of rest.

A lack of sleep can interfere with your ability to assimilate new information.  This means those all-nighters you pulled back in college were much less effective than you thought.  Your brain needs rest to operate at its peak performance.  This may be why things always seem clearer and brighter after a good night’s sleep.

5.  Exercise regularly.

You didn’t think you were going to get away without a little time on the treadmill did you?  Cardiovascular exercise improves blood flow to the brain which improves brain functioning.  One study found that physical exercise actually helped to increase the volume of the brain.  So, if you want a bigger, better brain, then get to exercising!

6.  Eat a good breakfast.

It is not a myth.  Eating a good breakfast does get you off to a better start.  You should eat a breakfast high in protein and good carbohydrates.  A couple of pieces of whole-grain toast with peanut butter will fit the bill.  Eggs are also an excellent source of protein.  Nuts, milk, and fresh fruit are also great ways to feed your brain.

7.  Think positive thoughts.

Encourage yourself.  I am convinced that positive thinking increases the effectiveness of the brain and helps to avoid things like depression.  I like to say that your brain works much like a computer, garbage-in, garbage-out.  Find positive, encouraging people to hang around, read material that jazzes you up, do whatever it is that makes you feel good about yourself.  These things will also help you be more mentally productive.

8.  Be a continual learner.

Never stop being curious about your world.  Seek out new experiences, skills, and knowledge.  Think of something that you’ve always wanted to learn to do and then get started.  A now famous study, showed that certain areas of the brains of London cab drivers were more developed compared to the average citizen.  This was due to their need to learn how to navigate the maze of downtown streets.  We can use this technique of challenging our brains to improve our abilities.

9.  Lay off the alcohol.

Alcohol is of course a depressant.  It slows down mental functions.  The effects of alcohol on a person’s cognitive ability is well-documented.  If you need peak mental performance, then stop drinking alcohol.  In addition to its obvious effects, it also decreases the restfulness of one’s sleep which, as we have already discussed, impedes your ability to think clearly.

10.  Get romantic (especially if you’re a woman).

Studies have shown that there may be a link between regular sex and improved brain performance in women.  Love-making increases a woman’s estrogen levels and higher estrogen levels are tied to better mental performance.  Of course, the mental benefits probably do not outweigh the risks, unless you are in a faithful, monogamous relationship.

11.  Break your routines.

Drive a new way to work.  Try writing with your less dominant hand.  Mix things up a little.  This perks up your brain because it requires you to think more.  You aren’t just running on auto-pilot.  Challenge your brain by getting out of your routines and it will respond.  This is a great way to get your mental juices flowing.

12.  Stop watching so much television.

Researchers have found that too much television between the ages of 1 and 3 leads to attention problems later in childhood.  Let’s face it, TV is mind-numbing.  Get up off the couch and away from the television.  Sure, there is some good educational stuff for children and adults, but the average American watches way too much TV.  If you want peak mental performance, then turn off the boob tube.

13.  Work with numbers.

Do math problems in your head instead of on a calculator.  For many of us, it is use it or lose it.  We have become mentally lazy.  We rely on our gadgets instead of thinking for ourselves.  Working with and memorizing numbers is a great way to get your brain back in shape.  This could pay off big dividends down the road!

14.  Stop relying on your GPS to tell you where to go.

Remember the cab drivers in #8 above?  Using your brain to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B is good mental exercise.  You have to use your brain’s ability to determine spatial relationships to effectively read a map and navigate a city.  Traveling in an unfamiliar area is even better!

15.  Recall old memories.

Get out those old picture albums and start thumbing through them.  This taps into your brains memory banks.  Pictures will help you recall things that you thought you forgot.  Dig deep to see just what all you remember.  If you have other ways to stimulate your memory, like old letters or home movies, then by all means use those too.

16.  Make beautiful music.

Learning to play a musical instrument is a great way to super-charge your brain.  It requires a number of different parts of your brain to work together to make the melodies that you desire.  Of course, if you are already a musician, then learn a new piece.  Push yourself to learn new techniques.  Music is a great workout for the mind.

17.  Speak a new tongue.

Many people agree that learning to a speak a new language is a powerful way to give the mind a stretch.  If you’ve ever tried to learn even a few new words, then you know this can be difficult.  Of course, the harder something is for the brain, the better!  You have so much more mental capacity than you might imagine.  Give it a try!

18.  Memorize a song.

Many of us have lots of old songs stored in our heads, but why not expand your memory by learning a few new tunes?  It may take awhile at first, but if you keep at it, you will find it gets easier.  This is your brain getting back in shape.

19.  Walk around the house blindfolded.

It might seem like a strange activity, but your brain can handle it.  Once you try it a few times, you will probably find it fun and challenging.  Again, this one draws on your memory, motor skills, and reasoning abilities.  What a workout!

20.  Expand your vocabulary.

Decide to learn one new word a day.  There are several websites out there that can help you with this endeavor.  You’ll not only be expanding your mind, but you’ll also be able to impress your friends and co-workers when you work one of your new words into a conversation.

Get started today and be smarter tomorrow!

There you have it!  I have just given you 20 very practical ways to sharpen your mind.  These suggestions will have your brain back in tip-top shape in no time.  Why are you waiting?  It is time to start exercising your mental muscles!

How do you keep your brain in perfect working order?

Games on Classroom

ad Fruit: A Shoppers' Nightmare
Level: Easy to Medium

This is an oral communication activity appropriate for EFL learners in elementary/primary school. (It's optimal for grades 3-6). This game is designed for practicing "shopping" dialogues and vocabulary.

Materials: "produce" and play money.

Object of Game: To accumulate as many products as possible.

      Students are divided into clerks and shoppers.

      The clerks set up "stands" to allow easy access for all shoppers (e.g. around the outsides of the room with their backs to the wall).

      The shoppers are given a set amount of money* (e.g. dollars, euros, pounds, etc.) and begin at a stand where there is an open space.

      Students shop, trying to accumulate as many items as possible (each item is 1 unit of currency).

      Periodically, the instructor will say "stop" (a bell or other device may be needed to attract attention in some cultural and classroom contexts) and call out a name of one of the products. Students with that product must then put ALL their products in a basket at the front of the room. The remaining students continue shopping. Students who had to dump their products must begin again from scratch (with fewer units of currency).

      The student with the most products at the end wins.

      Students then switch roles.

*It is recommended giving students as much money as possible since students who run out can no longer participate.

Alternative play for more advanced students: Clerks set the price of items. Shoppers have the option of negotiating the price. There are two winners in this version: The shopper who accumulates the most products and the clerk who makes the most money.

Submitted by: Mike Yough
What's the Question?
Level: Any Level

Type of Activity: listening and speaking

Purpose: review question forms previously studied in class

Procedure:
Form two teams (three will work, but two seems to add just the right amount of competitive tension).

Explain the game, with a few examples of answers in search of questions. Ask, 'What's the question?', and get students to correctly say the corresponding questions for your answer.

Have two players--one from each team--come to the front. Style it like a game show if you like, with the students standing side-by-side. If you have access to bells or buzzers, it's even more fun.

Next, read an answer to a question and say, 'What's the question?' The fastest player to respond wins a point for her/his team. New contestants come to the front for a new round.

Rationale: This game forces the students to think backwards a little, so they must provide a grammatically perfect question. All too often, they are used to answering rather than asking questions, so this is challenging and useful as review.

Submitted by: Tim
Toilet Paper Icebreaker
Level: Any Level

This activity is used as a "getting to know you", icebreaker on the first day of class.

   1. Teacher takes the toilet paper roll and takes several squares of toilet paper, then hands the roll of toilet paper to a student. The teacher tells the student to take some, more than three.
   2. After everybody in the class has some paper, we count the squares we have, then we have to tell that many things about ourselves, in English.

This activity works well with substitute teachers also.

The toilet paper is such an attention getter.

Submitted by: Linda LeBlanc
Chain Spelling (Shiri-tori)
Level: Easy to Medium

The teacher gives a word and asks a student to spell it, and then a second student should say a word beginning with the last letter of the word given. The game continues until someone makes a mistake, that is, to pronounce the word incorrectly, misspell it or come up with a word that has been said already, then he/she is out. The last one remaining in the game is the winner.

This game can be made difficult by limiting the words to a certain category, e.g.. food, tools, or nouns, verbs, etc.

Submitted by: Huang Shufang
Bang Bang
Level: Easy

Divide the group into two teams. Explain that they are cowboys and they are involved in a duel. One student from each team comes to the front. Get them to pretend to draw their pistols. Say "how do you say..." and a word in their mother tongue. The first child to give the answer and then "bang bang", pretending to shoot his opponent is the winner. He remains standing and the other one sits down. I give 1 point for the right answer and 5 extra points if they manage to "kill" 4 opponents in a row.

Editor's Note: Instead of saying the word in the students' mother tongue, it would be possible to use a picture or to say a definition ("What do you call the large gray animal with a long nose?")

Submitted by: Liz
Battle Ships - A Vocabulary Game
Level: Easy to Medium

Preparation:
Divide the students in to groups of four or five. Then ask the student to make the name for their ships for example with the names of animals, cities, movie stars or let them find their own favourite names.

Ask them to choose the Captain and the Shooter. The captain's duty is to memorize his ship's name, so he can reply if somebody call his ship's name. The shooter's duty is to memorize the names of the ships of 'their enemies', so he can shoot them by calling their ship's name.

Activity:
Arrange all the captains in a circle, the ships' crews must line up behind their captains. The shooter is the last crew member in line.

The teacher must decide a lexical area of vocabulary, this vocabulary will be used to defend their ships from the attacks. Every students (except the shooters) must find their own words. The lexical area for example, "Four Legged Animals". Give the students 1-2 minutes to find as many possible words as they can and memorize them.

Start the game by calling a ship's name, for example the ship name is "THE CALIFORNIAN". The captain of THE CALIFORNIAN must reply with a word from the lexical area given, for example he says "TIGER" followed by his crews behind him one by one, "COW"; "SHEEP" until it  is the shooter turns and he calls out the name of another ship and the captain of the ship called must reply and his crews must do the same thing. No word can be repeated.

If the captain is late to reply (more than 2 seconds) or his crew can not say the words or a word repeated or the shooter shoots the wrong ship (his own ship or the ship that has already been sunk) the ship is sunk, and the crew members can join the crew of another ship.

The teacher can change the lexical area for the next round.

In the last round there will be two big groups battling to be the winner.

Submitted by: Agung Listyawan

Describing Appearances & Characteristics of People
Level: Easy to Medium (Low to low intermediate)

Each student is then give one sheet of paper.  One student sits at the front of a room.  He/she describes a person and the rest of the class draws the person being described.

It is more interesting if the person being described is known by everyone. Once the student has finished describing that person then he/she reveals who it is and each student shows his/her drawing. The laughter from this is hilarious as the impressions tend to make the character in question look funny.

It is a good idea to encourage students to ask the interviewee student questions about who they are describing.

Submitted by: Darrell
Sentence Race
Level: Any Level

A good game for large classes and for reviewing vocabulary lessons.

   1. Prepare a list of review vocabulary words.
   2. Write each word on two small pieces of paper. That means writing the word twice, once on each paper.
   3. Organize the pieces like bundles, 2 bundles, 2 sets of identical words.
   4. Divide the class into 2 teams. get them to make creative team names.
   5. Distribute each list of words to both teams. every student on each team should have a paper.  Both teams have the same words.
   6. When you call a word, 2 students should stand up, one from each team. The students must then run to the blackboard and race to write a sentence using their word.

The winner is the one with a correct and clearly written sentence.

This is always a hit with kids. For more advanced students, use tougher words.

Submitted by: Thomas D. J-B
Paper Airplane Game
Level: Any Level

Draw a target (with points - like a dart board) on the white board or use a cardboard box in the middle of the room. Then, students make paper airplanes and launch them after they answer your question in the form of a sentence. I don't except my beginners/low intermediate students to form complete sentence so I help them to form correct sentences. To my surprise they will repeat the sentence several times (while I'm helping them) just so they can throw their airplane. For beginner and low intermediate classes, I recommend formulating questions that lead to 1 or 2 types of answers. This allows for better memorization. For example, use CAN/WILL questions and write the beginning part of the answer on the board "I can/will...".  I recommend giving a prize to make the target points mean something, thus peaking their interest.

Submitted by: Ell Saunders
Pictionary (Game 1) - revamp - Charades (Game 2)
Level: Any Level

Write out series of categories like professions (doctor, bus driver, etc.), animals, foods, actions (fishing, haircut, etc.) then divide the class into groups of 2. One student draws and the other guesses. Next turn, the guesser draws and drawer guesses. This game works best with the arbitrary stop watch (30 seconds). This is designed for one lesson.

Then for another day take the same categories (or create new ones) and play the same game except students, this time, act it out (no speaking or noises).

Submitted by: Ell Saunders
Spelling Contest
Level: Any Level

First, if you have a large class you have to divide it in 2 teams. then the teacher says a word or a sentence depending on the level for the students to spell.  Students should spell these correctly with not even one mistake. The team that has more points is the winner

Submitted by: Revolle Soyer
What's the Meaning?
Level: Medium to Difficult

You, the teacher, may need a dictionary do this activity.

    * Choose a word which is long, difficult, and unknown to the students, a good word to begin with is: warmonger.
    * Without using a dictionary, your students write down a definition. (They can work out the definition in groups of three).  Allow them a few minutes to think and write.
    * Collect the definitions and read them aloud.
    * When you have finished reading, they will have to vote which of those is the correct one. (It doesn't matter if none of them is the correct one)
    * After they have voted and none of the groups guessed the meaning you read the correct one aloud.

The idea of this game is to let students be creative and practice writing skills.

Then you can have the students to discuss their writings.

Submitted by: Natalia Iglesias from Argentina

Learning By Playing

Learning by Playing Program is committed to support the development of children in development  country in a social and communicative way by educating those English Language skills in combination with playing games. As everybody knows to face for a successful future in 21st century English language is must. We, the animators of Learning by Playing recognize that feeling and all the children are warmly welcome by 'Learning by Playing'.

The concept of learning, by playing, is not new. In fact, for ages, children have been taught highly complex concepts by means of games and activities, concepts that they wouldn't have otherwise grasped. Such games and activities enhance personal learning and development, that no book can provide. It is true that a school provides education, but knowledge is subjective and can be increased and improved, by means of some very simple methods such as playing games. There are so many things that you have your kids do, without realizing the kind of message it is imparting to your child, or the kind of effect it has on her/his mind. Particularly games have this effect on kids, and here we will talk about the concept of children learning by playing.

How Children Learn By Playing

Playing is a crucial part of every child's development because it helps them learn about the world around them. This section provides tips on how to get creative with your child, from birth onwards, so that you can support their development and have fun together at the same time.

Instead of having kids cram information and simply talking to them about various concepts, parents, along with several educational institutions are adopting the art of teaching by playing with children. This, they believe, is a better way of inculcating not only concepts but also essential values in life, particularly during the period of early childhood education, in the most formative stages of a child's life. It is human nature to learn by experience, rather than when told or explained by someone else. Certain things are learned only after you experience them yourself. You have to learn from the consequences of your actions, and then realize why you were or weren't asked to do something. Similar is the case when it comes to children learning by playing. Based on child participation and involvement, learning can be made fun rather than a mundane, stressful task, that emphasizes only on cramming as much information as possible.

Let's understand this approach by example. Why are kid's taught mathematics on the Abacus before they are taught it in the classroom? It is because the abacus lays a strong foundation upon which the subject revolves. The basics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are all taught on this colorful tool, where kids learn by manual movement of beads how these concepts work. This makes it a playful activity that allows learning by playing. Now let's take a look at some board games that implement the concept of learning while playing. Monopoly teaches children how to use money wisely at a young age. It teaches them how to carry out transactions, and the art of decision making. While it is a highly fun and engaging game, it is teaching things that education does not teach. Games, such as Scrabble are designed to increase word power. If you look deeply, that is not all Scrabble does. By having a point system, it enables kids to strategize and make high scoring words by using letters appropriately in strategic locations. All these games in some way are educational games that teach children things that parents and the best education are sometimes unable to do.

In the digital age, kids are more technologically savvy, which is why a lot of educational computer games and video games have been designed to teach children, basic concepts such as strategy, the importance of team work, along with enhancing focus and concentration. No matter how much you may be against it, video games are engaging and increase focus among those who use them. It is this engaging quality that is now utilized by game designers worldwide to impart education by a medium that is fun. Puzzles, games that increase word power, games that improve memory power, that teach complex scientific concepts in a simple manner, are all available to help kids enhance their learning. This may be hard to believe, but some schools in the US have started employing this technique to increase learning ability of children, and have been successful with this method. These schools also help kids design games that allow them to learn in the process of designing. For instance, a detective game based on problem solving will help kids understand how it works while they are designing the game. Though problem solving is subjective and depends on the kind of problem one is facing, there are certain methods of going about solving a problem that can be taught by means of designing these games. This is an interesting learning style for children that has been adopted by some schools.

In the classroom, while going beyond books and all that they have to offer, children are also taught the power of healthy communication, of group effort, and the benefits of team building. This is done by means of various team building activities for kids. It teaches children not only to function as a group, but to lead and manage large groups of people, thereby imbibing leadership skills. Similar is the case with outdoor games and activities. Being the captain of a football team teaches a child how to lead, manage, and achieve goals by means of the aforementioned concepts. In activities like camping, children are taught the importance of nature, and the value of having the comfort of a home and a bed, when they are roughing it up outdoors.

All in all, this idea of 'children learning by playing' can be implemented in different manners. Not all children take to a particular activity and may have other ways of imbibing knowledge and wisdom. Yet, this is a very effective way of laying a strong foundation of concepts that are not taught by books to children. There is a lot for children to learn in life, and though not everything, playing with children, and teaching them in this process will be highly beneficial to all of them.

sources and pict from : http://www.nowpublic.com/health/children-playing-0
                                   http://kidzeemalkaganj.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html
                                   http://www.serpholicmedia.com/media-gallary/2/
                                   http://www.nhs.uk/Planners/birthtofive/Pages/Learningandplayinghub.aspx
                                   http://www.buzzle.com/articles/children-learning-by-playing.html

Youth Pledge ( Indonesia History)

The Youth Pledge (Indonesian: Sumpah Pemuda), was a declaration made on 28 October 1928 by young Indonesian nationalists at a conference in the then-Dutch East Indies. They proclaimed three ideals, one motherland, one nation and one language.

Background

The first Indonesian youth congress was held in Batavia, capital of the then-Dutch East Indies in 1926, but produced no formal decisions but did promote the idea of a united Indonesia. In October 1928, the second Indonesian youth congress was held at three different locations. In the first session, the hope was expressed that the congress would inspire the feeling of unity. The second session saw discussions about educational issues. In the third and final session, held at Jalan Kramat Raya No, 126, on October 28 participants heard the future Indonesian national anthem Indonesia Raya by Wage Rudolf Supratman. The congress closed with a reading of the youth pledge.

The pledge

In Indonesian, with the original spelling, the pledge reads.

Pertama
Kami poetera dan poeteri Indonesia, mengakoe bertoempah darah jang satoe, tanah air Indonesia.

Kedoea
Kami poetera dan poeteri Indonesia, mengakoe berbangsa jang satoe, bangsa Indonesia

Ketiga
Kami poetera dan poeteri Indonesia, mendjoendjoeng bahasa persatoean, bahasa Indonesia.

In English:
FirstlyWe the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge one motherland, Indonesia.

Secondly
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, acknowledge one nation, the nation of Indonesia.

Thirdly
We the sons and daughters of Indonesia, respect the language of unity, Indonesian.

References

• Hudaya Latuconsina & Dedi Rafidi (1996) Pelajaran Sejarah untuk SMU Jilid 2 (History for Senior High School Vol. 2). Penerbit Erlangga, Jakarta, ISBN 979-411-251-8
• Kahin, George McTurnan (1952) Nationalism and Revolution in Indonesia Cornell University Press, ISBN 0-8014-9108-8
• Ricklefs (1982), A History of Modern Indonesia, Macmillan Southeast Asian reprint, ISBN 0-333-24380-3
• Youth Pledge Museum website (Indonesian)