Children's Athletics
Higher, faster, farther: Athletics for kids
Athletics for children has always been popular with kids, parents, and youth coaches. With the right children’s athletics equipment, you support the entire musculoskeletal system and train essential skills such as coordination, motor skills, and body awareness. One-sided training that only focuses on “jumping, running, throwing” is long outdated in athletics training. Instead, offer high-quality training products with strong play appeal – now in our children’s athletics shop.
Kids’ Athletics: The right equipment and fun exercises for track & field with children
Athletics is made up of three basic disciplines: running, throwing and jumping. Games that include these elements are a great way to introduce children to classic track & field in an age-appropriate way – with the focus always on having fun while being active. In our buying guide, discover playful ideas for kids’ athletics and the matching sports equipment.2. Kids’ athletics exercises: Play your way to success
- Game ideas: “Running”
- Game ideas: “Jumping”
- Game ideas: “Throwing”
1. Train without fear right from the start
Coaches and instructors for kids’ athletics often use especially child-friendly products that make training easier and more effective. For example, small children’s hurdles can be used in training, or special balls for throwing. Another key aspect of athletics with children is “fear-free training”. Sport-Thieme offers special sports equipment for all young athletes, such as magnetic hurdles where the bar falls at the slightest touch, or extra-soft foam throwing rockets that are extremely light and fly in a stable trajectory. This allows kids to train confidently from day one and make great progress. Set the course for optimal kids’ athletics training right from the start and inspire your young athletes and pupils.Good to know: In addition to the right kids’ athletics equipment, you’ll also find specialist literature, sports games and further training materials. Here you’ll get valuable tips for optimal training that makes movement fun for every child. Browse our athletics shop for children now.
2. Kids’ athletics exercises: play your way to success
Teachers and coaches promote kids’ athletics with modern training methods that are full of fun and variety, such as zone long jump or hoop target throwing. These games are not only popular with younger children, but also with teenagers and young adults.Game ideas: “Running”
Mini sprint: Mark a start line and place marker cones at 10, 15 and 20 m from the start. Each child has 10 seconds to run around one cone and back to the start line. Running around cone 1 scores 1 point, cone 2 scores 2 points and cone 3 scores 3 points.Medicine-ball run: Mark a 50 m loop with cones or similar markers. Groups of 3–4 children run together and have 30 seconds. On the course, there are small hurdles made from soft building blocks to jump over, plus various small items such as hoops and clubs that must be collected.
Puzzle relay: Use marker cones to set up an age-appropriate slalom course. At the end, place puzzle pieces, e.g. from puzzle mats, which must be collected. The way back leads over children’s hurdles, wobble bridges (parallel bars with gym ropes) and through crawl tunnels! Game idea: run there, pick up a piece, run back, high five the next player and complete the puzzle! The goal: Which team completes its puzzle first? But watch out: each child may only collect 1 piece!
Game ideas: “Jumping”
Zone long jump: Place 3 gym hoops directly one behind the other in the sand pit. The take-off board is the start line. Landing in hoop 1 scores 1 point, hoop 2 scores 2 points and hoop 3 scores 3 points.Ribbon high jump: Attach Reivo bands between posts at 3 different heights. Ideally, hang a little bell on them. Then jump over the bands – the bell will ring if the band is touched.
Hopping relay: Lay out 10 gym hoops in a row. Hoop 1 is the start, hoop 10 the finish. Define different jumping styles for the course: on one leg, on both legs, alternating right-left, backwards. Who can hop through the course the fastest? With large groups, you can set up 2 hopping tracks side by side for a head-to-head race!
Game ideas: “Throwing”
Gym ball shuffleboard: Mark 3 target zones using Reivo bands, gym ropes or marker cones. Large sitting balls are the “projectiles”. The kids push the balls into the target zones. The further the zone, the more points they score.Ring toss: Place javelins or gym sticks at an angle in the ground at some distance. Each child gets 5 hoops, gym bands or other rings to throw over the sticks. Who has the best aim?
Cone knockdown: Place marker cones on a bench. The aim is to knock down the cones as quickly as possible using a tennis ball, a tail ball or a throwing rocket. Start at a medium distance. Whoever hits a cone may take one step back as a reward. Whoever reaches the furthest line first wins.
Think about tomorrow’s success today – with plenty of play and fun! You’ll find sports equipment designed especially for kids’ athletics here in the Sport-Thieme online shop.