Age 4-5 years

Rough play is popular among this age group and can be a useful way of fine-tuning physical skills. This is the time to encourage social, intellectual and physical development as learning the basic skills lays the foundation for grasping more complicated sports and activities.

What a four to five-year-old can do:

• Very little or no developed eye-foot coordination – concentrate on developing balance and basic striking technique
• Children of this age have a very low attention span. Encouraging enthusiasm is more important at this stage than any skill development
• Play with balls but has difficulty kicking, catching and throwing accurately

How you can help

• Play ball games – let your child practise throwing, kicking and catching. For younger children, it is recommended that they participate in a general but structured ball skills programme where they are exposed to a variety of sporting skills.
• Once children have tried and become more proficient at the basic sports skills, they naturally develop an affinity for one sport or another. It is at this stage where they can start attending specific sport sessions.

Throughout all activities, always ensure a balance between learning and fun.

For more ideas or information on a structured sports programme for young children aged 3- 9 years please contact Anne from PLAYBALL at 021 674 1265 or 083 270 4094 or explore www.usaplayball.com