Fun Basketball Drills for Children

When teaching basketball to children, it's important to keep in mind that young kids aren't ready to focus on competitive and intense drills that require a great amount of concentration. They are playing because they think it is fun or because their friends are doing it. The game is still fresh and exciting and all of the different aspects can be intimidating and overwhelming. There are several drills that enable kids to learn the fundamentals while having a good time.

  1. Two Bounce

    • This is a two player game that focuses on shooting under pressure, free throws and rebounding fundamentals. The game begins with the first player shooting the ball. If the first player makes the shot, he goes to the free throw line to attempt three free throws. If he makes all three, he regains possession of the ball. If he misses the shot or one of the free throws, the second player lets the ball bounce twice off the rebound, grabs the ball on the spot of the second bounce and must shoot from that spot. If the second player makes the shot, he goes to the free throw line to attempt three free throws just like the first player did. The first player to reach 21 wins.

    Monkey in the Middle

    • This drill is similar to the traditional children's game. Break your team into two groups and have them form two circles. Designate one player to be the "monkey" and enter the center of the circle. Teammates will work on passing the basketball over and around the player in the middle. The player in the middle will work in proper defensive stance and try to intercept or deflect the pass. If he is successful he replaces the player who threw the errant pass.

    Clap Pass

    • A very basic drill, this will improve your team's awareness and ability to catch the basketball. Once again, have your team break off into a circle and place one of your players in the middle. The player in the middle has the basketball and will throw the ball to a random teammate on the outside of the circle. When the player on the outside sees the ball coming at him, he must clap before he catches it. If he doesn't catch the ball or forgets to clap, he sits out until the next round. The drill lasts until the last person is left on the outside of the circle.

    The "Who's Afraid of" Drill

    • This is a good cool down drill at the end of practice. The coach or one of the players stands at half court with a ball and calls out "who's afraid of (the name of one of the players)." That player becomes "it" and will attempt to tag his teammates. Each player has a basketball and tries to reach the other side of the floor by dribbling without getting caught. If a player gets tagged he helps the player who is "it" the next time down the floor. To keep things interesting, make your players use their weak hands while dribbling.