Basketball Games for the Kids and Family

Basketball is a fast-paced game that can be great fun for the whole family. Not only does it give you all a chance to bond and spend some quality time together, but it also gives you the chance to sharpen those hand-eye coordination skills to dribble, drill and play as a defensive or offensive player and keep fit while doing so. For some crazy reason, not everyone is into basketball as much as others and sometimes it can be difficult getting the whole family together to play. However, there are numerous basketball games out there can make it a little more interesting for everyone—and still try out the latest basketball drill To help give you some ideas as to how this can work for you, the following are just a few examples of some of the best basketball games out there to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Around the World. Number of players: 2+. This is a classic shooting game that involves players making a series of shots at various points around the key. When a player makes the shot they move around to the next determined position. This continues until a shot is missed or the player completes all shots successfully. The first player to get to the end is the winner. Around the World is a great game to play if you want to try and improve your accuracy. You can have as many predetermined positions as you want, but we suggest using five around the key, one at the free-throw line and one underneath the basket to begin with.

H-O-R-S-E. Number of players: 2+. This is an all-time family favorite basketball game that’s easy to learn and suitable for just about anyone. To play this game, player 1 takes a shot from anywhere on the court. If they make the shot, the remaining players must all take a turn to try and make the same shot. Anyone who fails receives the letter ‘H’. If player 1 misses their first shot, then player 2 must take the lead shot and so on and so forth, and all other players will follow them. The game continues until someone misses enough shots to spell out H-O-R-S-E.

Sharks and Minnows. Number of players: 4+. This is a great game to play if you want to improve your dribbling. In this game, choose one or two players to be sharks and the rest to be minnows. At the start of the game, all minnows line up along the baseline and are given one ball. While the sharks sit at the half court line. The idea is that the minnows must get from one end of the court to the other by inky dribbling the ball without getting their ball stolen or knocked away by any of the sharks. Any time a minnow loses their ball, they become a shark on the next round. The last minnow left in is the winner.

Lightning. Number of players:​ 3+. This is a game that tests your shooting skills while under pressure. You can play it with as few as three people, but for this game, more is definitely merrier. To play Lightning, you’ll need two basketballs. At the start of the game, have everyone line up in single file behind the free throw line and hand a ball to the first two people. The first person takes a shot. As soon as that ball is released from their grip the second person in line takes their shot. The idea of the game is to make a basket before the person in front of you does. It’s all about speed and accuracy here! As soon as a person makes their shot they give the ball to the person behind them. If they miss they must continue until they get a shot. If another player makes a shot before they do, however, they are out of the game. Play continues until there’s just one person left standing. You can add more basketballs to make it even more exciting, but generally, two is plenty.

All-Star Shootout. Number of players: 4+ (2 teams). In this fun-filled basketball game, players battle it out trying to be the first team to make a shot from all the designated spots. It’s similar to that of around the world, but team based. To begin with, select several spots on the court where players will have to take a shot from. Then have each team line up on opposite sides of the court facing their respective baskets. Each team is given one ball each. When the whistle blows, members of each team will take it in turns to run out onto the court and choose one of the marked spots to shoot from. If they make the shot, that spot counts as completed. If they miss, it still needs to be done. The player then runs back into line and passes the ball to the next member of their team. The first team to make a successful shot at each marked spot is declared the winner.

Twenty One. Number of players: 2+. Twenty One is one of many variations of one-on-one that can be played with multiple persons. The game commences with one person dribbling out from the three-point line trying to score. All other players try to stop them. Everyone works alone and no one is on a team. The player can take a shot at any time. If the player makes the shot they get a point. If it rebounds and they get hold of it again, they can retry the shot. If another player gets hold of the ball, however, they must first make it back to the three-point line before they can take a shot. The first player to reach 21 wins the game.

All of these games are pretty quick and easy to learn and they’ll all help you improve your basketball skills in one way or another. But, out of everything, the most important thing to remember when it comes to family basketball is to have fun and cherish the moment.