Feeling a little lost for ideas when it comes to keeping the kids entertained on the holidays, weekends or even in the afternoons? Why not keep them entertained by providing some fun sports activities and training exercises they can do in the backyard, or down the park with their friends. Not only will it encourage them to get active and keep fit, but it will also keep them entertained for hours, using up some of the excess energy that seems to come in an endless supply, especially when you’re busy with work, chores or need a little personal time. Practicing these drills regularly will also improve your child’s skills and coordination in many sports so they can confidently join a local team or attend a school holiday sports camp with a good base level of skills and knowledge of whatever sport they are interested in. Below I have listed several simple sport exercises that can be set up at home and done individually, if you have a friend or a parent to do these exercises with, simply alter them to make use of the extra person.
Equipment: Basketball, portable basketball hoop, sticky tape. Drill:
An alternative to this drill is to set up the hoop so the wall is on the side of the court. As the player dribbles towards the hoop they pass to a target, which is now further away from the hoop, regather the ball and make a jump shot.
Equipment: Basketball, portable basketball hoop, sticky tape or 5 markers. Drill:
For more basketball drills check out Simple Basketball Drills For Kids
Equipment: Cricket bat, cricket or tennis ball, stocking. Drill:
Equipment: Tennis racket, tennis ball, sticky tape. Drill:
The idea is to start slow and make sure you’re clearing the net but not by too much. Keep focusing on hitting the targets until you are hitting them regularly then try to increase the speed and intensity of your shots.
Equipment: Soccer ball, sticky tape Soccer is another easy sport to practice at home by yourself. Like the previous tennis drills, we will be using tape to mark out passing targets and a goal on a concrete wall. Though with soccer, we don’t need a concrete surface as well.
These simple sports drills will help to build up the core skill of the respective sports such as hand eye coordination, passing shooting, technique and accuracy. If your child starts to get bored with solo practices (which they surely will), you can enrol them in a holiday sports camp, which are run by professional coaches, and have star guest appearances. They’ll also get to make new friends and learn more advanced skills and game strategies in a fun, encouraging environment. Find an Australian camp near you.