Athletic prowess knows no age limit and some children are born athletes, full of energy and practically running a mile with ease barely after learning how to walk.  For those children, parents may become excited at the prospect of having their kids involved in sports, but there are certain age-related factors to consider and different types of activities that will be appropriate according to what age the child is.

Toddlers (1-5)

Energy seems boundless for little ones in this age group!  Jumping, playing, dancing are all fun activities that they enjoy and can’t seem to get enough of.  Actual organized sports at this age can be impractical because the mental attention span simply isn’t always there, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t do athletic activities and put all of that energy to good use!  The best things to get them involved in at this period would be dancing, tumbling, running/racing, climbing on things, and well supervised water fun.

Kids and Preteens (6-12)

Now they can understand the tenets of teamwork and more easily get the concept of structured play and cooperation.  Most sports, done safely and with proper equipment, are an option for kids to play.  Great team games like soccer, basketball, softball are fun to learn how to be a part of a team and cooperate with others, while sports like martial arts, tennis, gymnastics, and golf can teach coordination and discipline.

Teenagers

Teenagers and up of course can participate in all sports if it appeals to them.  There are now even video games such as the Wii Fitness System that will let them combine their love of video games with getting healthy and playing sports!  Biking, hiking, jogging, team sports, and swimming are worthy ideas to get your teenager out of the house and onto being active!  Join them in a game of touch football or ride bikes together to have a great time of family fun.