EDUCATION EDITION
A s parents, we all want our children to enjoy sports, stay active and build confidence in their abilities. But with so many distractions competing for their attention, it’s not always easy to keep them engaged. At Kimbolton School, Cambridgeshire, we’ve been rethinking how we approach sport – taking inspiration from video games to make physical activity more exciting and rewarding. Video games and sports have a lot in common. Both rely on having clear goals, progression, challenges and rewards. By bringing these principles into PE and games lessons, we’ve seen remarkable improvements in motivation, participation and teamwork among pupils. And the best part? You can use these same techniques at home to make your child more active. How gamification works At Kimbolton, we have introduced gamification techniques to make physical activity feel like an exciting game rather than simply a chore. We’ve introduced personalised progression to harness the power of goal setting. In video games, players progress by unlocking new levels and tracking their achievements. We apply the same principle in sports by encouraging pupils to set their own goals, whether it’s mastering a rugby pass, improving sprint times or building stamina in cross-country running. This personalised approach keeps them motivated and focused on progress rather than just the final outcome. At home, you can also set small, achievable challenges for your child, such as seeing how many times they can hit a cricket ball against a wall without missing or improving their speed in short runs. Celebrate progress with rewards, such as choosing a family activity for the weekend. You can also make training fun by adding challenges. Traditional drills can feel repetitive, so we’ve turned them into mini games to add an element of fun and competition. For example, in football training, we award extra points for one- touch finishing – just like in professional
MAKING SPORT FUN Gamification is transforming traditional sports at Kimbolton School; its director of sport Creag Lawrence explains
matches, where quick decision-making and fast reactions make all the difference. If your child is reluctant to go for a bike ride or a run outside, turn it into a challenge – how many laps can they complete in ten minutes? Can they beat their last score? Adding a points system can transform any form of exercise into a game. Tactical thinking through play Cricket is a particularly good sport for practising strategy and decision-making. At Kimbolton, we’ve introduced challenge cards in matches, where pupils can activate game-changing advantages. A bowling team might play a ‘dot ball is a hot ball’ card to deduct runs for every dot ball, putting extra pressure on the batting team. Meanwhile, the batting side might use a ‘double bubble’ card to double their runs for a short period. It’s possible to create your own fun rules and twists in family games too, such as giving a bonus point for every football goal scored with your weaker foot or a power play where extra runs count in garden cricket. This helps keep children engaged and encourages creative thinking. One of our biggest successes has been enabling pupils to shape their own sporting
experiences. In a recent touch rugby block, pupils co-designed their own six v six game, adding strategic superpower cards that could pause the game, remove an opposition player or even extend the pitch. By giving them this control, we saw a huge boost in enthusiasm and engagement. If you have a child who finds sports boring, let them switch up the rules! Give them the power to invent their own variations – whether it’s modifying a game of catch, adding a freeze rule in football or letting them coach you for a change. Why this matters for families At Kimbolton School, we know that keeping children active is about more than just PE lessons – it’s about building up confidence, resilience and a love of movement that will last a lifetime. By turning sports into a game, we’ve seen our pupils become more motivated, confident and willing to try new things. Whether at school or at home, that’s something every child will benefit from. For more information about Kimbolton School, call 01480 860281 or visit kimboltonschool.com
READY, SET, PLAY! Allowing students to adapt sports and set personal goals elevates the fun
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK APRIL 2025 79
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