Basketball Drills for Toddlers

Playful Learning

• Before you go for a serious skill-building session, remind yourself that toddlers learn through play. The pediatric pros at the KidsHealth website note that play is a natural way that toddlers learn new skills and develop abilities. Instead of draining your tot, keep the drills lively and fun-filled. Toddlers are just learning how to handle a ball, throw, catch and run and aren't likely to play the game of basketball in the same way that an older child or adult would. Avoid barking orders, yelling at or overstressing your toddler. Modify the drills for the child's skill level, making sure to adjust them for age-appropriate fun. For example, a newly turned 2-year-old may need to roll the ball more than actually throw it.

Pass That Ball

• While it's not likely that your 2-year-old will deftly run down the court, throwing the ball back and forth with his friends, he can learn the basics of passing. Place toddler pairs roughly five feet away from each other, making sure that they face one another. Give one toddler a basketball and have him pass the ball -- to the best of his ability -- to his partner. The partner can then pass the ball back. Keep the toddlers' developing motor skills in mind, understanding that it's more likely than not that the tots will drop the balls. The simple act of passing, whether the kids actually catch the ball or not, provides a basic understanding of this basketball skill.

Make a Basket

• Get your toddler in the practice of shooting for the hoop with a modification of a drill for older children. Try a catch-and-throw drill, in which you gently toss the ball to your toddler and then ask her to shoot it into the hoop. Instead of using a full-sized hoop, opt for a smaller or toy type of structure. This allows your toddler to actually get the ball in the basket, increasing her confidence and making the game more interesting.

Run Like the Wind

• Toddlers aren't always the most graceful runners. That said, a running-based drill can help your budding basketball player to better navigate the court. Set up cones -- spacing them two or three feet apart -- in a line, and have the tykes run in between them. Another option is to have the kids run back and forth from one end of a basketball court to another. To make this more entertaining, set up a race in which two toddlers run against each other or have them carry basketballs as they make their way across the court.