One day, a little boy called Arjun was getting ready to go to the park to play basketball with his dad.  He got his basketball from the garden.

 

“Dad, can we go to the park to play basketball?” asked Arjun.

 

 “Yes, we can later,” replied dad, “but first you have to go to the opticians for your eye test.”

 

“But I want to go to the park,” said Arjun folding his arms across his chest.  “Can’t we go to the opticians another day?”

 

“No Arjun, your appointment is today so we will go to the opticians first and then stop off at the park,” said dad firmly.

“Okay!” said Arjun, although he thought going to the opticians was boring!  Arjun goes to visit the opticians every 6 months and the optician checks Arjun’s eyes and his glasses.

 

“Go and wash your hands first, good lad,” said dad.

 

"Okay,” said Arjun running upstairs to the bathroom.  “I must remember to wash my hands for about 20 seconds to wash all the germs away.”

 

“Are you ready Arjun?” called his dad. 

 

"Yes dad,” replied a grumpy Arjun as he came downstairs and they both got into the car.

 

As they arrived at the opticians, Arjun showed his dad how tall he had become.  He was tall enough now to reach the board.

 

“Wow, you are getting tall,” said dad, “soon you’ll be taller than me.”

 

Dr Chan did all the necessary eye tests on Arjun and confirmed that he was happy with Arjun’s eye sight.

 

“Well done,” said Dr Chan as he reminded Arjun to take regular breaks when playing on his dad’s phone and on his console.

 

“Just like your legs get tired when you play basketball, your eyes get tired too when you concentrate on your consoles for too long.  Enjoy playing, but always remember to stop and give your eyes a break.”

 

Arjun’s dad thanked Dr Chan and left for the park with an eager Arjun.

 

As they arrived at the park, Arjun saw Tom and his dad were already there.

 

“Hey Tom,” called Arjun waving at him.

 

“Hi Arjun,” replied Tom, waving back.

 

“Do you want to play basketball?” asked Arjun.

 

“Okay cool,” said Tom running over to Arjun and giving him a high five!  They both walked over to the basketball court and started playing.

 

“Hold on boys, don’t forget to do your warm ups first,” instructed Tom’s dad.

 

In all their excitement to play, the boys had forgotten. They started their warm ups.

 

“1 2 3 4 5 clap your hands and touch your toes

6 7 8 9 10 turnaround and stretch your arms

Let’s jog on the spot

And be a robot

Now that we’re all done

It’s time to have some fun.”

 

“Come on, let’s play!” said Arjun dribbling the ball speedily past Tom.

 

Both dads proudly watched their children play and were quite impressed with their skills.  “Well done boys, you’re both getting so good at basketball,” said Arjun’s dad.

 

“Yes, they are definitely getting faster and developing their skills with all this practice,” said Tom’s dad.  “Practice makes perfect, plus it also keeps them active in a way they enjoy.”

 

Both boys played for some time and then stopped for a break when their dads told them to get their drinks.

 

They both sat on the bench to drink their water and have a rest.

 

“I’m glad I have my water with me,” said Arjun who was quite thirsty.

 

Tom drank half of his water, “me too,” he said.  “I feel much better now.  Playing basketball is thirsty work!” he said with a grin.

 

“My dad says playing basketball will make my bones stronger,” explained Arjun.  “It also helps my muscles to develop and I gain more confidence every time I play.”

 

Just then, the boys saw Danny who was walking his dog.

 

As Danny walked up to Arjun and Tom he said, “how incredible!  I was just saying to my dad how cool it would be if I met my friends at the park.”

 

“This is my dog Poppy,” said Danny, as he bent down and gave her a cuddle. 

 

Arjun and Tom both said hello to Danny’s dad and to Poppy.

 

“Shall we play basketball?” asked Arjun bouncing his basketball.

 

“Cool,” replied Tom and Danny at the same time.

 

“Dad can you hold Poppy please while I play?” asked Danny.

 

“Yes, of course I can,” said Danny’s dad, taking Poppy’s lead.

 

Arjun shouted “catch!” as he bounced the basketball over to Danny who was very quick to catch it. 

 

“Let’s go!” instructed Danny as the boys raced towards the basketball court.

 

“Have fun boys,” said Danny’s dad who sat on the bench with Poppy at his side ready to watch them play.

 

As the boys raced to the basketball court, Arjun’s dad said, “come on boys, lets see your skills?  But first Danny, you need to do your warm ups.”

 

Danny quickly did his warm ups and then Arjun’s dad and Tom’s dad both joined in to play basketball, and they all had so much fun.

 

After playing for about 30 minutes, they were all very tired and decided it was time to go home. 

 

“Keeping active is fun,” said Arjun, “let’s do it again next week.”

 

The boys waved goodbye and went happily on their way home with their dads.