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The Best Sports for Kids

Taking part in sports is a good way for kids to make new friends, build their self-esteem, show off their talents and learn new skills. Team sports can help develop a child's motor skills and prepare them for the challenges of being a grown up, including teaching teamwork, responsibility and staying fit. With child obesity on the rise, sports can help encourage your child to get some fun exercise and distract them from computer games and television.

  1. Little League Baseball or Softball

    • Baseball is one of America's favorite sports, so get your child interested in it at an early age by signing him up to a Little League baseball or softball team. Both sports rely on teamwork while also giving players a chance to shine individually with a well-thrown pitch or a home run. Softball may be considered more accessible to younger children because the ball is bigger than a baseball and pitches are thrown underhand and thus slower and easier to hit with a bat. Both games could also help develop your child's hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

    Soccer

    • Soccer is one of the best sports for kids to play because of the low chance of physical injury, the low cost of soccer equipment and the good exercise it provides. The game teaches children to work together to achieve a goal, and the variety of different positions available means that there will be a place for players of all skill levels from beginners to professionals.

    Basketball

    • Your child doesn't have to be 7 feet tall like the professionals to partake in a game of basketball. Basketball can help your child be more agile, improve their hand-eye coordination and even prepare them for the pressure of life when they take their first free throw. Most importantly, basketball is fun, inexpensive to play and good exercise for your child.

    Street Hockey

    • Street hockey is a derivative of ice hockey, which is played on flat outdoor surfaces, such as playgrounds, with a ball rather than a puck. Players can choose to wear roller skates or to play in normal sneakers. Unlike ice hockey, physical contact is minimal, and depending on the competitiveness of a given game, little protective padding is required other than shin pads. The sport is good for children in inner cities who may not have much open space or playing fields in which to play. Street hockey can emphasize to your child the importance of teamwork and a good individual performance on the outcome of a game.

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