There is no doubt football is a great choice of hobby for children of all ages, helping encourage a healthy lifestyle from a young age, and how to work as part of a team. But, how early can children start playing football?

Some children will naturally start to play at a young age and show an interest in the sport, whilst others may need some gentle encouragement, but what is the best age for a child to start playing? Or become part of a team?

Let’s find out.

The Best Age For Kids To Start Playing Football

Truth be told, this is a little bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string?’ type question, because the age at which a child can start playing football will have a few variables depending on their interest, ability, and what you class as playing football!

In general, though, you will be surprised how early a child can start to kick a ball– no, they won’t be able to play a full game of football, but by 15 months old, a child will be able to start kicking a ball (with a little help from Mum and Dad!).

At 19-20 months old, a child will start to independently be able to kick a ball in the direction they want it to go. And, by 24 months of age, you may be able to pass a ball back and forth with your child. Amazing right?

The tricky bit kids are learning here is the coordination to be able to make their foot connect with the ball – once they have mastered this, they will be away! This is a brilliant skill to learn, even if you aren’t planning on raising a future football star as these types of coordination skills are a key part of child development.

As mentioned, some kids may naturally show more interest in football and kicking a ball, and these ages are a rough guide – some children may reach these milestones sooner and others may take a little longer.

Can Young Kids Join Football Clubs Or Teams?

Once you have mastered the basics of kicking a ball, you may want to consider enrolling your child in a football club for kids, or a local early-year’s team.

Wait, isn’t that too young? Well, although a child aged 18-24 months isn’t going to play a full game of football, joining a team or club at an early age comes with a lot of benefits.

Early-age football clubs don’t focus on playing a full match with children, instead, they help kids develop coordination, communication, and team skills. The focus in the early years is on skill building and of course, just having fun! No child is going to carry on with a hobby where they aren’t having fun.

If your child is already older than 24 months, they can also join a club or team – football is a great sport to start playing for any child of any age. Football clubs and teams can be a great way to get your child socialising outside of their usual social circle (school and family) and learning about the joys of playing as part of a team!

Whatever age you decide is best for your child to start playing football, just remember to keep it fun! If your struggling to get your child to become enthusiastic for sport these tips will help encourage children be active.