The best basketball hoop for kids should offer a fun introduction to the sport of basketball. We are going to recommend some kids basketball hoops suitable for toddlers and some Larger hoops up to regulation height for older kids. Toddlers don’t need to know the rules they just want to learn and play and have a fun time. As they grow into bigger kids they’ll start to progress to training drills, slam dunks and dribbling the ball.
In order for a child to progress and love the game of basketball, making sure the game is accessible and easy for toddlers to get involved in from a young age is highly important. We have created a list of the best hoops suitable for children that we could find starting from 2 feet high and reaching up to 10 feet. The larger hoops are for older kids who need a greater challenge in order to improve their skills and have fun with friends.
Let’s take a look at some of our favourite kids driveway basketball hoops and some indoor hoops for toddlers.
Little Tikes easy score Basketball Hoop For Kids
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The Best features of the Little Tikes easy score are that the height can be adjusted between 2 and 4 feet, the rim is really big so it’s easy for youngsters to score hoops and there are 3 basketballs included for lots of free throw fun. The Little tikes easy score is recommended for kids aged 18 months to 5 years old.
We love that the Little Tikes easy score basketball hoop actually makes scoring a basket and slam dunking much easier for toddlers and kids. When first playing a basketball game it takes a while to learn the coordination skills and to build enough arm strength to be able to shoot hoops accurately. This is why a kids basketball hoop should encourage kids to build confidence by making scoring easier and more fun.
The Little Tikes Easy score is made in the USA with what little tikes claim are high quality plastic materials. The 3 inflatable basketballs look realistic and are light enough for toddlers to throw upwards but they do deflate over time. We think the blue red and white colours look great and are appealing for children who love warm bright colours. The backboard is big and solid so your little Michael Jordan NBA superstar can throw the small basketballs against it as hard as they like and attempt a bank shot.
The base unit can be filled with water or sand in order to ensure it doesn’t wobble or tip over if kids pull on the net. If they don’t then it isn’t always necessary to fill the base with anything but we recommend it is filled for added stability. If toddlers pull on the net it can easily come loose, but can be fastened on again quickly. If we had to sum this children’s basketball hoop up we would say it is great value, exceptionally well made and lots of fun. Your children can start throwing balls at 18 months learning new motor skills and when they reach 5 years old the hoop will have grown with them and they will be able to slam dunk and shoot hoops from a distance .
Little Tikes Totsports Easy Score
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Little Tikes Totsports easy score has a bright pink colour scheme making it perfect for encouraging girls to play basketball, learn some coordination skills and burn off some energy. This hoop can be adjusted up to 5 feet high so toddlers up to the age of 5 can make good use of it and even older kids will still enjoy shooting hoops from a distance but older kids will really need one of the bigger and more challenging hoops below. The soft frame and responsive backboard make this good for toddlers.
The little Tikes Totsports is another Little Tikes basketball hoop that we think is great. The pink colour scheme means your little girl can have a lot of fun and potentially become the next WBNA star like Diana Taurasi. In 5 minutes the Totsports kids hoop can be assembled to the height most suitable for your child’s training. The soft plastic means this is a safe product but also durable and long lasting. We like that there are 3 basketballs included ( 6 inch diameter when inflated fully) so your kids can practice their dribbling skills and shoot 3 hoops without having to collect the basket balls.
We know that girls love to throw balls and play basketball just as much as boys. The little Tikes Totsports basketball set will appeal to them because it is pretty, easy to score baskets and fun for practising skills both indoors and on your driveway.
Little Tikes Adjust And Jam Pro Toy Basketball Hoop
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We really like the blue / grey pole and base on this junior basketball hoop. Because of the height of the basket we would recommend this as a good choice for kids aged between 3 and 7. Once kids get older than 7 they would be best using a full-size basketball and taller hoop in order to practice the vertical jump and slam dunks. The backboard is large and the included ball bounces nicely off it. Stability is good if you fill the base with sand or water.
Although reaching 6 foot tall this product is still aimed at toddlers and kids because of the plastic build and small ball. The ball is quite bouncy and can’t be held the same way a full-size ball can be. Because the backboard is big and solid the bouncy ball allows for lots of fun rebound play. The breakaway rim allows for exciting slam dunks without the rim bending or breaking. Little Tikes have produced another great kids basketball hoop for children looking to have fun and move towards a larger full size basket as they grow.
Lifetime Double Shot Basketball Game
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The lifetime double shot is an arcade style basketball set with two hoops so 2 players can play together. The two hoops are attached to a frame with a nylon ramp below them to send the balls quickly back so you can throw again. Kids can compete throwing the 7 inch diameter basketballs towards the hoops in order to score baskets. We love playing this game in the arcade and having it at home, folded in the corner and easily assembled within minutes is exciting. The whole family and all your friends will love practising scoring into one of the two steel rimmed baskets that are 12 inches in diameter, which is a good size for the 7-inch balls, making it not too easy and not overly difficult.
In order to keep score both rims have an optical scoring sensor to tell you when one of the players has scored a basket. The scores add up on the central scoreboard and you have to shoot as many hoops as possible in order to beat your opponent who can throw baskets simultaneously. It can take a little bit of patience and time to construct this basketball set, but once constructed you’ll be more than happy that it’s a high-quality basketball set. Most importantly this product offers a lot of fun as well as improving skills.
Sklz Pro Mini
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The Sklz pro mini basketball hoop for kids is a heavy-duty door mounted basket. Most of us don’t have their own basketball court indoors so it’s nice to have a hoop attached to the door in order to play when sat in your living room or shoot some hoops when lay on your bed or even in the office. Some of us just can’t get enough of this sport and having a portable basketball system that can easily be unscrewed and attached to a different door or brought into the office for some fun office games.
We like the clear plastic flexible backboard and solid metal hoop. If someone jumps on it while performing a vertical jump or slam dunks too enthusiastically a spring ensure the hoop folds inwards and doesn’t bend. The net looks good quality but doesn’t make a swish sound. The thick rubber pads at the back of the backboard ensure no damage is done to your door or wall. Although, it might be worth purchasing a foam ball rather than the included rubber ball, because the rubber can sometimes scrape paint off the door. This product is heavy duty so make sure your door is solid and able to handle the impact. If using a foam ball, the noise and impact will be greatly reduced, although a rubber ball reacts differently off the backboard so be sure to improve your accuracy and field goal skills.
Spalding NBA Slam Jam Kids basketball hoop
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The NBA slam jam has a scaled down ¼ inch of regulation size NBA backboard measuring 18 inches x 10.5 inches. We love the quality of this door hanging basket and the NBA logo means this is a really cool gift for NBA fans. We love that this product is attached to the top of your door and can be secured without the need for any screws or attachments, simply by hanging it over the door. Your kids can perform a vertical jump and try to slam dunk and as long as they don’t hang from the hoop it can handle a lot of slams and field goals.
A cool 4” Spalding NBA logo basketball is included which is good quality and the official ball used in the NBA league. Spalding produced the first ever basketball and continue to produce the official NBA basketball today. We think even lebron James or Michael Jordan would like how good a replica the hoop and ball are to the ones used in the NBA.
RAMgoal Kids Basketball Hoop And Ball
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The Ramgoal indoor basketball hoop is high quality and comparable in size to outdoor sets, with a 24 inch x 16 inch backboard. The excellent realistic breakaway rim allows for fun slam dunk play and action between friends and teammates. A breakaway rim is a feature found on any real indoor hoop and means the rim will move down slightly when pulled on a little bit during play.
An adjustable rim is a unique and useful feature as well as the nice extended distance between the wall and the basket of approximately 9 inches, allowing nice space to play with slam dunks. The 9-inch rim, which is half the regulation size, means the slightly smaller than standard sized ball is perfect and great for kids to train and practice their skills. RAMgoal have some excellent customer service with a real personal touch. If you experience any problems they operate one of the best customer services we have come across.
SILVERBACK INGROUND BASKETBALL HOOP
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The silverback is the ultimate full-size basketball hoop for your driveway or garden. Your kids won’t ever come inside again once you install the silverback in ground basketball hoop. The 60 inch tempered glass backboard is absolutely stunning to look at and is the real deal. Michael Jordan couldn’t ask for anything better, it’s that good. The ball rebounds and reacts perfectly off the fibreglass backboard. If you were to play down the local court you wouldn’t find a basket this good. This isn’t the best toddler basketball hoop, but with an easily adjustable frame
All this quality and the thick solid 6×6 inch pole means that this pole needs to be installed into the ground. If you like you can pay extra and have it assembled for you. When installing it yourself be sure to follow the instructions correctly and make sure there is enough space to play
Making a final decision on a toddler basketball hoop
When a toddler starts playing basketball, it isn’t because they love to watch the NBA. Instead it is a chance for them to have lots of fun while learning to improve coordination skills and throw balls using hand eye coordination. Coordinating the hands and eyes comes naturally but needs to be developed through consistent practice and hands on experience.Toddlers love to laugh and try new exciting activities. When they manage to complete a new task or acquire new skills, they feel a significant sense of achievement and happiness
When kids start to reach the age of 6 or 7 they can begin to learn to dribble the ball properly. It is important to learn to grip the ball correctly, using appropriate stance and balance in order to learn good form and follow through when shooting at the hoop.
If your kids love to play sports check out our sports page
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