By Sarah Lyons

Team sports are a great way to keep children active but not all kids enjoy playing them. When kids avoid team sports, parents look for other ways their children can continue to be healthy and active. How can you get your kids moving around when they aren’t part of a sports team?

Encourage Lifelong Activities Choose activities that have the potential for lifelong enjoyment such as biking, swimming, walking, and hiking. These activities are great because while they can be done individually for a lifetime, they also can be enjoyed as a family. Encourage everyone to go on a walk or bike ride together, hike in a local park, or spend the day at the pool. Get a step counter for each family member and create a friendly competition to see who can get the most steps.

Go Outside Simply getting your children outside can be a great way to sneak in exercise. Visit a local park, encourage them to climb trees, swing, or play tag. Have your child go on a “treasure hunt” in the backyard and collect items that interest them like sticks, rocks, flowers, or leaves. Catching fireflies in the summer, building a snowman in the winter, or raking leaves in the fall (and jumping in them afterward) all help kids to be active while not playing a sport.

Individual Sports Just because your child does not enjoy team sports does not mean they may not enjoy an individual sport. Gymnastics, swimming, track and field, wrestling, diving, archery, golf, or weight lifting are all good examples of individual sports where children compete against themselves.

Limit Screen Time When screen time is allowed, try to encourage them to move while they are watching TV. If a song comes on, get up and dance or march along. If they are playing video games, encourage games that involve movement. If the child is sedentary while enjoying screen time, ask them to complete some sort of activity like chores or outdoor play before they turn the TV or tablet on. Have a policy that at least the same amount of time spent on a screen must also be spent on an activity involving movement or exercise.

Set an Example Children learn by example. If the parent has a low activity level the child will most likely see exercise as a low priority. Lead by example and get moving. Begin an exercise routine or a hobby that includes movement, like gardening, and invite your child to join you. Make the most of the time together.

Dance and Theater Turn on the music and have a family dance party. There is nothing like a great song to get a body moving. Dancing is fun and it’s great exercise too. Some children may also enjoy trying dance classes, baton twirling, or cheerleading. All of these are a great source of exercise. If your child is drawn to music and theater, get them involved in a theater production in school or your community.

Find a New Hobby Help your child find a hobby that encourages movement and activity such as skateboarding, fishing, bowling, and woodworking. If the child is doing something they enjoy they won’t even notice they are also exercising.

Play! Leisure sports can be more fun for kids that don’t care for team sports because they are less competitive and therefore have less pressure to perform at a certain level. Encouraging kids to play gets them active. Frisbee or frisbee golf, tag, catch, shooting hoops, and duck duck goose all require kids to run around. Again, they will be having so much fun, they won’t realize they are exercising.

Chores Chores are a great way to get children moving and teach them the value of hard work at the same time. Ask your child to clean their room, vacuum, mow the lawn, or sweep. Consider paying them an allowance for more motivation.

While team sports have many benefits, they are not for everyone. Children who do not enjoy team sports don’t have to be less active. With these tips, kids will enjoy an active lifestyle that can be maintained for a lifetime. 

Sarah Lyons is a mom of six children, including 9-year-old triplets. While she is an extrovert, she is a wife and mother to several introverts. She strives to encourage her kids to step out of their comfort zones while also celebrating their unique personalities.