This is a new series about getting kids active – in your home or garden, in small, but fun ways. Practicing simple skills that will help them become better at sports and sporting games. They are all from the Set4Sports supported by Judy Murray (no other than Andy Murray’s mum!), with our family “take on it”. And Set4Sports have kindly agreed for me to share them with you here – whatever gets family’s active and into sports is good for them!
Getting Active, doesn’t necessarily take a lot of space. And it doesn’t necessarily take a lot of equipment. Simple things from around the home will help you.
Please note: these activities ARE simple. That is the whole point. But you can make them more complicate as your child learns and gets the hang of them. And more importantly, they are FUN and your child will love playing with you.
Today’s activity is “Toddler Tennis”.
Materials: 2 chairs, a rope/ skipping rope/ washing line and a couple of soft toys
What to do:
- Tie your rope between two chairs and create a “tennis net” for your toddler.
- Then get your child to throw you the toy. You catch it and throw it back.
- Once they have the hang of it, get a second toy, and you both throw and catch a toy at the same time!
- If you want you can also start taking scores and practice counting and numbers.
- Enlist older children to play with each other and start making it into a proper little sporting event!
- The “tennis net” makes it feel like a real game and not just an “activity”.
- Developing hand eye co-ordination for catching.
- Learning to throw the ball in a specific direction.