Get Children Involved in Seasonal Sports!

Sports are a wonderful physical activity in which children of all ages can participate. Not only will children meet a new network of friends - outside of the school and family communities, they will also find an outlet for all that pent up energy they hold! Sports introduce and foster the idea of teamwork in children and help children build important social relation skills that will last a lifetime! Prior to helping your preschooler decide upon a sport in which they might like to participate, check out a this wonderful series of books that introduce children to four basic sports!

Herzog, Brad.
Little Baseball.
April 2010.
Sleeping Bear Press.
Review copy provided courtesy of publisher.

Brad Herzog's Little Baseball introduces the youngest (and older) children to baseball by introducing the basic terms (bat, baseball, pitcher, umpire, baseball glove, home plate, scoreboard, hot dog, baseball cap and bench). Simple rhyming riddles encourage children to become involved with the story using the process of prediction - a great method to engage children in the reading process! If this basic informational book doesn't excite children about baseball, chances are baseball isn't their sport! In that case, be sure to check out some of the other titles in the Little Sports series being released by Sleeping Bear Press!

Other Books in the Little Sports series:

• Little Football
• Little Soccer
• Little Basketball

Look for a t-ball or little league team that your child could join. You can find local leagues near you here. If you're not sure if your child is "feeling" the whole baseball thing, perhaps it might be more worth your while to pick up a wiffle ball set and try out the sport in a less structured environment to get your child's take on it! I've purchased a wiffle ball set (similar to this, with a big bat but no tee) for my preschoolers to use - we play both indoors and outside in our fenced in playground area. So far we've only practiced batting (a teacher pitches and the children take turns hitting 3 pitches at a time), as the children aren't quite ready for the "rules" of the game. However, the batting alone is a huge hit and the other children keep busy while awaiting their turn by being "catchers" and chasing after the ball when ends up being hit! They absolutely love this and I have yet to find a child too reluctant to try hitting (an adult is always available to help out and encourage participating by helping a child bat if they so desire)!

Find Local Sporting Leagues for:

• Basketball
• Football and Cheerleading
  
• Soccer
• Tiny Tumblers (Gymnastics)
  
• YMCA Swim, Sports & Play

If you're still thinking these aren't the right sport for your child, check out some of the following articles about ways to encourage physical activity in your child(ren).

• Promoting Physical Activity and Exercise among Children
• Physical Activity in Children: Tips to Help Parents Encourage Exercise in Kids
• Children and Physical Activity: The Importance of Movement and Physical Activity
• How Do I Choose a Kids' Sports Program?
• Physical Workouts for Preschoolers
• Preschool Sports: Teaching Sports to Preschoolers

Most importantly - keep in mind! If your child doesn't show an interest in "sports" - don't force the participation! Rather, force the idea of physical movement - find a way to engage your child in physical movement in a fashion that will catch their attention! Physical movement and exercise are very important - encourage your child to be a part of the decision making process about how they choose to engage in physical activity!


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If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!