Five non-contact sports for under-fives

There are so many reported benefits of becoming involved in sport from an early age, but which are the best (and safest) for our under-fives? We’ve listed the top non-contact sports to keep your little ones active and healthy – in more ways than one.

Swimming

Swimming is arguably Australia’s most popular Australian summer sport – just about everyone does it! Whether your child is at a ‘learn to swim’ level or happier to swim in a group, there are so many ways to get started in swimming and ample opportunity for them to swim competitively if they so desire. Your child’s school may be lucky enough to have access to a pool which means they’ll probably do swimming sessions during school hours but, if not, there are plenty of swimming clubs and schools around town that you can enrol in.

Tennis

If your child loves sport but they don’t want to spend all of their time in the pool, they may want to give tennis a go. Perfect for improving hand-eye coordination, fitness and agility, tennis is easy to pick up yet challenging enough to make your children keep at it. If you’re worried about accessibility (we know, tennis courts can be hard to come by) check out the school holiday tennis programs in your area.

Gymnastics

Ribbons, hairspray, glitter, most probably a sequin or two (million), dance moves, flexibility and spectacular coordination – sounds like a normal Friday night for some! Whether rhythmic or artistic gymnastics is more your child’s scene, you can bet that strength, flexibility and perseverance are just some of the skills your child will pick up in training for this sport – not to mention, serious determination. The best part? It’s a whole lot of fun!

Athletics

From long jump to long distance running, athletics – or ‘track and field’ – has something for every child. Athletics clubs are a great way for your child to trial a wide range of different sports to see which one is for them, whilst also improving their fitness, motor skills, self-confidence, sportsmanship and even their vision. From sprints to relays, high jump to shot put, there are so many sports to fall in love with under the athletics umbrella.

Dancing

Between TikTok and the widely popular – and equally shocking – show ‘Dance Moms’, dancing is always having a major moment. Get your children in on the fun by enrolling them in some dance lessons. Experts suggest that children who dance from a young age will experience health benefits like improved muscular strength, endurance and aerobic fitness, better coordination, agility and flexibility, improved balance and spatial awareness, and even a healthier heart, lungs and blood pressure. We can’t argue with that!