A recent survey conducted by physical activity and wellbeing program providers, Core Kids, has revealed that parents rank ‘confidence’ above ‘academic excellence’ and ‘street smarts’ as one of the top traits they wish for their child. The majority of parents surveyed (68%) chose ‘confidence’ as one of the two top traits with ‘resilience’ coming in a close second.

Core Kids Survey

The survey, launched to learn more about the role that physical activity and sociability plays in the lives of children, was completed by over 900 parents of primary school-aged children across Ulster.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions, the survey reveals parents worries about the level of their children’s social activity with 45% of parents stating that their children have been less social since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The survey also reveals that a staggering two thirds of children (64%) have become more reliant on devices and technology since the Covid-19 pandemic, impacting motivation levels when it comes to getting out and getting active. Of the survey respondents who found it difficult to motivate their children to be physically active, 61% of these cited children being on devices as the main reason.

An overwhelming majority of parents surveyed (90%) of said they felt group activities such as sport, music or drama are very important for their children’s development, something that founder of Core Kids, Gary Wallace strongly agrees with.

Speaking about the results of the survey, Gary Wallace said: “We can see from the results of this survey that parents are concerned that their kids have become too reliant on devices and don’t engage in enough outdoor play.

“At Core Kids we inspire young people to fall in love with physical activity so they stay active for the rest of their lives. We don’t want children to see it as a chore or something they’re being forced to do, instead seeing it as a fun way to get sociable and stay active.

“The survey results show that confidence is what parents desire most for their children and sport and team playing is one of the best ways to develop that quality in a child. We run physical activity and multi-sport camps that are all about giving kids the opportunity to try new things and make it fun – we know every sport doesn’t suit every child.

“At Core Kids, our goal is to provide positive experiences for children that result in happy, healthy and more fulfilling lives.”

Established in 2017 Core Kids is a fun fitness-based company which aims to promote positive experiences and build confidence in children through multi-sports, physical and wellbeing activities, teaching them how to enjoy and live a healthy active lifestyle.

Core Kids Summer Camps take place in locations across Ulster throughout the Summer, with prices starting at £32.50. Core Kids Summer Camps kick off at the beginning of July, taking place in locations across Antrim, Armagh, Down, Donegal, Fermanagh, Derry/Londonderry, Tyrone throughout the Summer.