As Little Heroes, organised by Suffix and powered by IKEA, returns to Kuwait, its Olympic-inspired programme raises a question that comes before competition: how do children find an activity they want to keep playing?
The question adults ask children about sport is often whether they are any good at it. An earlier question deserves more attention: have they found something they enjoy?
Choosing a sport requires exposure to it. Yet asking a child to name their favourite can mean asking them to choose from the few activities they already know. Before there is a training schedule, a team or a competition, there has to be an opportunity to try.
That is what makes the third year of Little Heroes powered by IKEA at Boulevard Kuwait on 30–31 October interesting beyond the weekend calendar. Organised by Suffix for children aged 4–12, the Olympic-inspired event brings six sports zones, races and family challenges into one setting. Its appeal lies in the variety: children can encounter different activities before deciding which deserves another turn.
A medal records what happened that afternoon. A newly discovered interest gives a child a reason to come back to sport afterwards.
Discovery comes before commitment
There is a difference between introducing children to sport and asking them to identify as athletes.
The first leaves room for uncertainty. A child can be unfamiliar with the rules, need another demonstration or enjoy an activity without immediately excelling at it. The second can bring expectations before there has been much opportunity to explore.
An event with several disciplines offers a useful starting point. Children do not have to arrive with a favourite. They can compare experiences, discover what catches their attention and decide what they would like to try again.
Little Heroes takes its inspiration from the Olympics, but the most relevant part of that model for a young beginner may be its breadth. Sport includes different kinds of movement, skill and cooperation. Being uninterested in one activity says little about how a child might respond to another.
The editorial question, then, extends beyond who wins the races. What did children encounter that they had not tried before? Which activity held their attention? What would they choose to continue?
Those answers would tell us something a podium photograph cannot.
The role models already in the family
Sporting inspiration is often discussed through famous names. Research suggests the people closest to children deserve at least as much attention.
In the Youth Sport Trust’s 2025 Class of 2035 report, 47% of children surveyed named their mother as an inspiration to be active, while 45% named their father. Friends were cited by 46%, compared with 22% for professional sportspeople and athletes.
The survey covered 1,002 children aged 5–16 across the UK. It is not a measure of Kuwaiti families, but it offers a useful challenge to the assumption that inspiration mainly comes from exceptional sporting achievement. For these children, everyday relationships featured more prominently.
That gives family participation a significance beyond keeping adults entertained while children play.
At Boulevard, family challenges put parents inside the experience. The person who normally offers encouragement can take a turn receiving it. A child can watch an adult learn the rules, attempt something unfamiliar or laugh when it goes wrong.
“Are you your child’s superhero?” is a playful question. The research gives it a more grounded interpretation: parents may already be important sporting influences without realising it.
Making room for play
“Screens off, smiles on” captures the weekend’s invitation. The more substantial issue is what fills the time once a screen is put down.
The IKEA Play Report 2024 found that 54% of parents surveyed wanted more time to play with their children. The research involved 7,000 children and parents across seven countries, alongside family visits and expert interviews.
The report identified competing demands including homework, after-school activities and television. Its findings establish a relevant distinction: wanting more time together and finding room for it are different things.
The involvement of IKEA in Little Heroes reflects the belief that play is an essential part of childhood and family life. Here, the setting moves beyond the home to an afternoon in which activities, space and family participation are brought together.
The value of the occasion does not depend on every activity producing a lesson. Enjoyment is itself a reason to participate. Children should have room to like a game without having to demonstrate what it has taught them.
Who gets to take part?
A broad sporting programme also raises the question of access. The plans for Little Heroes include activities accommodating children with disabilities, making participation across different abilities part of the event.
That belongs at the centre of the story. If discovery is the purpose, the opportunity to discover must extend beyond children who are already confident in sporting settings.
Competition can remain part of the afternoon while achievement takes more than one form: completing an unfamiliar challenge, joining a group activity or finding something worth another attempt.
Little Heroes, organised by Suffix and powered by IKEA, takes place at Boulevard Cricket Ground in Salmiya on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, with activities starting at 4pm. Participation details and day-specific bookings are available through Suffix.
