Are you thinking of signing up your early elementary student for sports? Read below for the list of the best sports for young kids and our experience with a kindergartner.
Hard to believe it, but A’s Kindergarten year is coming to a close! This has been a milestone year for our first-born. From school to sports and life at home, he has grown in so many amazing ways.
Throughout this past year, A (and now C) tried a few different sports activities. Here is a list of the
Best Sports for Young Kids and our experience with a kindergartner:
This post is sponsored by Febreze. As always, all opinions and content are my own.
Team Sports
Soccer
A has been playing soccer since his toddler years. When he started at three years old, it was more about getting used to the team atmosphere and learning basic soccer skills.
Now that he’s playing at the kindergarten / first grade level, he has weekly practices and games. He’s played both indoor and outdoor soccer. But, he prefers to play outdoors. During his kindergarten year, he played soccer during the fall and spring season. It was a good schedule for us to balance with his school days and other activities.
Some of his best buddies are from the soccer team. I think it’s a great team sport to segue into trying other ones out. The availability of soccer leagues is pretty wide in most areas too. I highly recommend checking out both tot programs and elementary-aged programs.
Basketball
A joined a basketball league during the second half of his kindergarten year. He learned basic skills like dribbling, passing, shooting, etc. He had a great time because some of his best friends from school were all on the same team.
From our experience, I think kindergarten is probably the earliest I would suggest for trying out basketball.
From dexterity to other physical skills, I think that basketball is better suited for older elementary aged kids.
T-Ball
A tried t-ball for the first time at age 3 and hated it. We lasted two weeks. He played again just before starting kindergarten and LOVED it.
C, on the other hand, started a month ago, a few months shy of turning 4, and has loved his experience so far.
I think the main difference between the boys’ experiences at three(ish) isthe fact that A’s t-ball team was set up through a league that hosted ALL sports games on the same day on one big field.
The noise, commotion, and all of the adults cheering their kids on caused sensory overload for A. It was too much for him to focus. And all of the noise was too much for him at three years old.
The league that C is playing in is just like a normal team practice and playing one other team for a quick 30 minute game. The crowds are much smaller and quieter.
Mom Hack for Keeping Sports Clothing Fresh
With the number of sports that A is involved in, you can definitely say that our weeknights and weekends are action-packed. We’re usually on the go with all the kids and all of their sporting gear in tow. But, that doesn’t mean my car has to be stinky with all the sports clothing and equipment.
Just like with my personal gym routine. I keep a bottle (or two) of Febreze Fabric Refresher in my car. Because the amount of stink and odor that can fill my car without my trusty Febreze Fabric Refresher is indescribable.
I make sure to pack his sports tote with a change of clothes and plastic grocery bags. Once A is done with practice or a game, he changes and we spray down his uniform and/or practice gear with Febreze Fabric Refresher.
How it works: Febreze FABRIC with OdorClear Technology cleans away odors in two simple ways – seeks out tough odors and cleans them away by deactivating and replacing them with a light, fresh scent.
My number one PRO TIP is to spray down athletic sneakers, cleats, etc. with Febreze FABRIC! It keeps all of A’s sports footwear fresh for the next game and practice.
You can read all about my laundry routine for the boy’s sports clothing here.
Individual Sports
In addition to the team sports, A also participates in individual sports activities. Most of them, he started as a Kindergartner, and the transition to classes and learning skills has been very smooth and quick!
Karate
A has been taking karate lessons since the holidays, just a few months after he started kindergarten (freshly six years old). I think that readiness for sports and activities vary by child, but it was the perfect time for him.
His confidence level at school and adjusting to kindergarten was soaring. This coupled with the individual-focus of learning karate was the perfect balance. Karate is a great individual sport for younger kids to mature in discipline, respect, as well as the physical aspects.
Swimming
You guys all know that I’m vigilant about my kids and their swimming lessons. It’s a super important skill that I want the boys to have, since we live near so many bodies of water. All three boys have loved swim lessons. Save for C back in Spring, when he randomly had a few weeks of melt downs. He bounced back pretty quickly though. And his swimming skills are amazing at four years old.
A has been taking swim lessons since he was a baby and at six years old, is a phenomenal swimmer. I know that his confidence in other sports was spurred by his experience and skills learned through swimming.
Golf
A will be starting golf lessons this summer. I’m not sure how it will go, but he sounds pretty excited about it. And we’re excited for him to learn about a sport that we enjoy together as a family pretty frequently.
Do your kid(s) play sports? What age(s) did they start?
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