NFL football for kids: How to get the family involved on game day
You want to share your love of the game with the family but how do you keep their interest? These handy tips for watching NFL football for kids will help.
If you look forward to football Sundays (or Mondays) all year, chances are good that you want to share your love of the game with your whole family, including the kids. However, some kids might get bored while sitting through 3+ hour games and end up scrolling through TikTok. From a bandwidth perspective, that's no problem on Ting Internet. From a family togetherness perspective though, it presents some problems.
By making game day fun and exciting, you can turn sporting events into a highly anticipated family affair. Here are several ways to make watching NFL football for kids more interesting.
Dress up in your team's gear
Who doesn't love dressing up in colorful outfits? You can make football days more exciting for your children by getting team gear for the whole family or finding clothing in your team's colors. Most NFL teams have apparel and accessories for all ages (some even have pet gear too), and your kids will look forward to the days when they get to don their special jerseys and match the rest of the family.
Toss the ball around during halftime
Regardless of their age, most kids will get antsy watching anything when it goes on for a few hours. Help them burn off that pent-up energy with a little game of football during halftime or commercial breaks. Not only will this get them up off the couch, but it will also give them the opportunity to learn more about the game, which can make watching it more interesting.
When you're out in the yard, try recreating their favorite moment from the game, whether it's a Hail Mary pass or just a fun end zone dance. If your children are older, have a short scrimmage and let the winner pick their favorite snacks for the second half.
Watch highlight reels
Younger children and even teens might not have the attention span to sit through a full football game, and that's OK! There are many resources on NFL football for kids that can teach them about the sport and introduce them to your favorite team.
For instance, you could go on social media to find short highlight reels to show your children. In particular, Instagram and YouTube have lots of engaging sports content. If your kids are into TikTok, try searching the app for your favorite team to find short clips of the most exciting moments from previous games. Encourage younger children to choose their favorite players or mascots, and soon they'll eagerly watch live games to see their icons appear on-screen.
Find teaching moments in the game
There are a surprising number of lessons your kids can learn from watching and playing football. For instance, you can point out examples of good sportsmanship during games, such as when members of opposing teams help each other up after a tackle. It's a great way to open a conversation about being respectful and kind to everyone, even if you're competing against them, and this type of lesson will serve them well throughout their whole lives.
For older children, you can put their math skills to the test or get them involved in fantasy football. Teach them the basics of player statistics, such as passing yards, attempts, and competitions. As they get older, you can challenge them to calculate stats such as completion percentages and have them guess who might win the game based on that.
Experience the game live
Once your children are old enough, it's time to take them to a live football game (as if you needed an excuse to break out your tailgating grill). You may want to start small and attend a local high school or college game, but eventually you can have family outings to your favorite NFL team's home games. The exciting atmosphere at a live football game is sure to make your kids eager to watch with you.
Plan for multi-room streaming
For those times when your kids just aren't interested in watching NFL football, make sure you have the internet bandwidth to support multi-room streaming. Ting's Whole Wome Wi-Fi will allow you to watch the big game in one room while your children play video games, stream a movie, or scroll on their phones, ensuring you don't miss a moment of the action.
