Tennis Games and Activities for Kids

Tennis games and activities for kids provide fun in the sun and plenty of outdoor exercise. The ping of a ball or birdie on racquet strings signals a fast-moving, action-packed game.

But while organized racquet sports require expensive equipment and regulation courts, these games can be played at home in the yard or driveway, or on the sidewalk. And beyond just being fun, these activities will improve skills kids need to succeed in playing tennis or badminton on actual courts.

Follow the links below for tennis games and activities that your kids can play.

Badminton Bounce

Watch the birdie fly as you improve your hand and eye coordination.

Driveway Tennis

Stay sharp between games by practicing against your garage door.

Sidewalk Tennis

Play tennis without racquets or even a net.

Read the next page to learn how you can bounce your way to a better badminton game.

For more fun outdoor activities and games for kids, check out:

Badminton Bounce

Badminton Bounce is a fun outdoor activity that can help you improve your badminton game. When you play badminton, the object is to slam the birdie over the net. But bouncing the little rubber-tipped cone off your racket again and again and again can help improve your hand-to-eye coordination. You'll learn just what makes the little birdie fly. And you don't even need a net.

What You'll Need:

Badminton racket
Birdie
Paper
Pen

Step 1: Toss the birdie into the air.

Step 2: As it falls, catch the birdie on the heart of your upturned racket, and hit it into the air again.

Step 3: Repeat the first two steps. See how many times you can bounce the birdie without letting it fall to the ground.

Step 4: Use the pen and paper to track how many times you can bounce the birdie without it hitting the ground. See if you can beat your record every time you play.

Keep reading to learn how you can improve your tennis game without leaving your driveway.

For more fun outdoor activities and games for kids, check out:

Driveway Tennis

Getting to the tennis court every day may be impossible, but Driveway Tennis is a tennis game that lets you easily bounce a few at home. If you have a driveway and a smooth garage door, you can bat balls between games and work on the strokes you use the most.

What You'll Need:

Tennis racket
Balls
Relatively flat driveway with closed garage door

Step 1: Stand at the back of your cement driveway with your racket and ball in hand.

Step 2: Drop the ball at your side, standing in position ready to swing.

Step 3: As the ball bounces upward, use your racket to hit it toward your closed garage door.

Step 4: When the ball bounces back to you, pretend the volley came from a skilled competitor sending your best serve back over the net.

Step 5: Return the ball, but not too hard or you'll send it rocketing into the street.

Keep repeating the steps of this exercise to streamline your strokes and stay sharp between real matches.

Can you play tennis without rackets or a net? The answer is "Yes!" Look on the next page to find out how.

For more fun outdoor activities and games for kids, check out:

Sidewalk Tennis

Often called box ball, sidewalk tennis is a tennis game that doesn't require expensive rackets or even a net! With a small ball and your sidewalk as a court, you can just have fun or work on your speed and skill.

What You'll Need:

Two players
Level sidewalk
Small bouncing ball

Step 1: Choose two large sidewalk squares as your court. Only the ball can enter the court; players must keep their feet out. The center line between the two squares splits the court in two (as a net).

Step 2: Players stand at the edge of their squares.

Step 3: One player serves by bouncing the ball and striking it with an open hand. The ball should bounce once in the opposite player's square.

Step 4: The opposite player then hits the ball so it bounces once in the server's square. If a player misses, the opponent gets a point.

Step 5: Keep serving and hitting back. The first player to reach 21 wins. In some versions, the game continues past 21 until one player scores two more points than the other.

For more fun outdoor activities and games for kids, check out:

ABOUT THE ACTIVITY DESIGNERS

The following activities were designed by Maria Birmingham, Karen E. Bledsoe, and Kelly Milner Halls.