Tennis is excellent for children of all ages, from toddlers to teenagers and beyond.

Playing tennis at a young age is a great way to develop fine motor skills, boost confidence, encourage team building, and get little ones moving. Whether your child attends formal tennis lessons or you prefer to play outside in your driveway, the most important thing to remember is that junior tennis should be fun!

Tennis is one of the safest no-contact sports and doesn’t require much gear to get started. A junior racquet and some tennis balls are all you need to start teaching kids developmental skills and encouraging a passion for the game. If your child is super enthusiastic about tennis, consider investing in a tennis net. This portable 18-foot Starter EZ Tennis Net by Wilson is a great way for beginners and junior players to develop their tennis skills.

Tip: Be sure you have a youth tennis racquet that’s the correct size. If a racquet is too big or small, it can make playing more challenging and a lot less fun.

Use our Kids Tennis Racquet Buying Guide to help you choose the right size.

Making every game or lesson effective and fun is challenging. Whether you’re a parent or a youth tennis teacher, it’s important to be mindful of the learner’s needs while focusing on engagement. Get creative! Fun and silly drills and games will help keep little ones entertained while they develop new skills.

Check out these five fun tennis games to spice up your kid’s next tennis lesson.

Kids can get started on shot placement as soon as they're old enough to hold a tennis racquet.

For an easy target practice drill, set up a pyramid of tennis balls in a set area of the court. You can create a target by making a square of several balls on the bottom and layer the balls upward to the top point. Kids have to hit the target from a certain point on the court. Once they hit it, the tennis balls explode out of that pyramid and roll all over the place.

Encourage clean-up by tossing the balls back into a tennis ball travel cart.

If your kiddo is enthusiastic about getting better at tennis on and off the court, try the Tourna Fill & Drill Tennis Trainer. The Fill & Drill is an easy-to-use tennis aid that throws the ball back once you hit it. Kids can use this handy tennis training tool in the driveway, garage, basement, or backyard.

The Fill & Drill is an independent exercise for all tennis players (adults included). Try it whenever your kid wants to play but doesn’t have a partner to practice with.

Dribbling is a fundamental tennis drill that helps develop hand strength and ball control. All you need is a racquet and a tennis ball. Kids must dribble with the racquet and tennis ball without dropping the ball.

Make this drill more challenging for older players by moving them across the court as they dribble the tennis ball.

Hungry Crocodile is a fun volley drill for younger players. You will need several kids to play. Have the kids form a lineup by the net. The coach will randomly volley the ball to a player. If the player hits the ball, they’re safe, but if they miss, they lose a “limb” to the hungry crocodile. For example, if they “lose a leg,” they must go down on one knee and continue the game. When they make a shot, they “regain” the lost limb. The last person not to be “eaten” by the crocodile wins!

Beginner tennis players need a lot of repetition and goal setting. For this fun tennis drill, players will stand on opposite sides of the service line and count one by one as they toss the ball back and forth as many times as possible.

Make the drill more fun by setting goals to hit 5, 10, or 20 shots in a row.

With the chilly season slowly creeping up on us, outdoor tennis is officially closed for the little ones until the spring. But that doesn’t mean your kids don’t want to play tennis during the winter.

Use the tips and tricks above to help keep kids engaged and excited during every tennis lesson - whether it’s in your driveway or on the tennis court!

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