Ten minutes counts: fitting backyard play into a busy week
You don't need a practice schedule. A few small habits make playing together easy to fit in.
Between school, work and dinner, "let's practice soccer" can slide to the bottom of the list. The trick is to make playing together small and easy, so it fits in the cracks of a normal day.
Pick a cue, not a schedule
Tie play to something you already do: after dinner, before bath time, or while the pasta water boils. A cue is easier to keep than a calendar.
Keep the ball by the door
If the ball is buried in the garage, it stays there. Keep it where your child can grab it on the way outside.
Make a game menu
Write three or four favorite games on a card with your child, and let them pick one each time. No planning needed on your end.
No yard? No problem
A park or driveway (with a grown-up nearby) works too. On rainy days, try gentle sole taps indoors with a soft ball: tap the top of the ball with the bottom of your foot, if your space allows.
Let it be short
Ten minutes counts. So do five. What matters is that you're out there together.
Want a ball made for this?
The NicoGO! Ball's picture cues are designed to make these games easier to teach. It's still in development.
See the preview store
