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Parents care about their children’s physical and mental wellbeing and hope to spend time with them as they grow. Exercising together can be a great way to accomplish this.
To encourage both generations to participate in sports together, InspiringHK Sports Foundation organised the Community Together Carnival at Link’s Lok Fu Place over the Father’s Day weekend. Through a variety of fun and creative sports games, such as augmented reality (AR) rowing and skiing, the event promoted a parent-child fitness culture in a community shopping mall surrounded by towering public housing estates.
Paco Lai, a member of SportsLINK Home Run Community Project funded by Link Together Initiatives, attended the event with his father, Edward, who also enjoys running. Edward says: “It’s unusual to find sports-themed parent-child activities in community shopping malls. Skiing today in Lok Fu Place’s spacious Zones A and B was a refreshing and delightful experience.”
Paco says, “It was my first experience with AR skiing, and it felt very realistic. This game is challenging and requires quick foot movements to avoid obstacles, which is very different from running.”
Kelvin Ng, Hong Kong’s “Prince of Still Rings” and the first gymnast from the city to win a medal in an international competition, was also invited to the event. He demonstrated games such as rowing and bowling.
Kelvin believes that if parents engage in sports, their children will also be influenced and likely follow suit. Using his favourite gymnastics as an example, he suggests that parents try supporting their children on a mat while performing a forward roll: “My daughter is almost two years old, and I’ve been teaching her to do this. Today’s activities at Lok Fu Place can entice children, who can then persuade their parents to join in. It’s a meaningful event.”
During the Community Together Carnival, many residents were drawn in by the event’s lively atmosphere and laughter. Mr Lee, a Lok Fu resident, passed by with his daughter. They were captivated by the many novel and fun games and spent considerable time trying each one out: “We played bowling, frisbee, and hopscotch. My daughter loves these games. Spending Father’s Day working out together is both enjoyable and meaningful.”
Judy Kong, Chief Executive of InspiringHK Sports Foundation, says that after their first community sports day at Lok Fu Place on Mother’s Day last year, her organisation is back with the Community Together Carnival on Father’s Day this year. “Often, fathers simply tell their children to exercise without participating themselves. Parents must set a good example by engaging in sports themselves. This is the purpose and the message we hope to convey through our community sports day.”
Lucita Lai, InspiringHK Sports Foundation’s Senior Programme Manager responsible for designing the sports games, mentioned that they wanted to incorporate technological elements into the games while also emphasising interactivity: “Fathers must take part themselves and they can also guide their children on how to play the games, fostering a closer parent-child relationship. It’s a great way for families to bond and stay active together.”
