When teaching basketball to kindergarteners, the aim should be to introduce them to basic skills while keeping the mood fun and light. Five-year-olds have short attention spans, so it is important to vary the activities to hold their interest. Try alternating games with short bursts of drills to allow them to get used to practicing as a group while still learning in age-appropriate ways.
Bounce Catch
At this age, children need to learn how to coordinate their hands and eyes to bounce and catch the basketball. Use mini-basketballs when playing catch because they are better suited to small hands. Split the children into groups of three or four if possible, and the adult in charge of each group should bounce the ball to each child in turn. Encourage the kids to catch the ball after it bounces once, then to bounce it back to you. As the children become more proficient at this, have them make a circle and bounce it to each other. You could have them count each time the ball is successfully passed, making it a team goal to get to 10 or 20 consecutive passes.
Duck, Duck, Goose
Most kindergarteners know the basics of Duck, Duck Goose. Play this kiddie favorite with a twist that helps them master the skill of dribbling. All of the children sit in a circle, while the "goose" walks behind each child, dribbling the ball once for each "duck." When the new "goose" is chosen, the dribbler should hand the ball to her before running around the circle and taking her place. If the children are able to, encourage them to dribble the ball while running around the circle chasing the previous "goose."
Shooting Games
Have a relay race with a two small basketball hoops set up at one end of the gym or blacktop. Line the children up in two teams, and have them run, relay-style, dribbling the ball down to their hoop, making a shot, retrieving the ball and dribbling it back before passing it to the next child in line. Another option is to create an obstacle course of sorts, with balls of various sizes and hoops set up at varying heights. Allow the kids to go through one at a time, experimenting with the different equipment.
Considerations
Reward each child for his effort when playing basketball games. Praise them for every basket that they make, improvement with dribbling or passing correctly. When coaching young children, keep all of your comments positive. Five-year-olds will not have proper form when shooting the ball; at this point, the goal is to get them to enjoy the game, learn good sportsmanship and become proficient with catching and bouncing the ball.
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