While not every child is going to be interested in sports, there’s a lot to be gained even if it only holds their attention for a little while. It’s a great opportunity for a parent to bond with their children, and a healthy activity you can do together! It’s important that you’re able to get your kids interested in physical activities, as it’s likely going to be their main source of exercise outside of school! Even if you’re not much of a sports enthusiast yourself, if you can find a way to make it a bonding activity; it might become much more enjoyable for you too!
Try them all
Before you start investing all of your ideas into one sport, it’s important that you encourage trying new things, you never know what you like until you experience it! Some people throw in the towel after a bad experience and don’t try out different sports, you never know what you’re missing out on! It can be the same with kids, and you should try to help them find the one that works for them; you can’t expect them to share the same interests as you!
Don’t be strict
At the end of the day, what matters is that you both have fun when you’re trying to get them interested, and you want to make sure that it stays fun! Younger children won’t always want to play by the rules, and just want to mess around as that’s what they find fun; trying to put so many rules in place might cause them to lose interest - keep it free! If they stay interested in the sport as they grow up, then they can start learning about the proper rules! What matters for now is getting the exercise they need, and the bonding time you need.
Get invested
If you find that your kids are starting to get interested in learning and taking part in a sport of their choice, now’s a good time to encourage them a little further! Buying them their own clothes or equipment is a great gift idea, and can contribute towards their enjoyment. You can buy all kinds of clothes online, like baseball shirts for toddlers, or even child-sized footballs - just make sure you don’t jump the gun with this one!
Find a club
So you’ve found the sport that your child enjoys, and you want to see and help them take it further than just a backyard activity. Maybe it’s time that you suggest a club they can go to so they can play it with their peers! There are often clubs all around for different activities, and there’s a high chance you’ll find one to suit your kids!
It might be difficult to find a sport that your kids enjoy, but that doesn’t mean you should give up if they don’t show interest at first. With that in mind, be careful not to push too hard, physical exercise is important; just know that not all kids will enjoy sports as other people do!