Sports for toddlers?
Pat 
darwin 
ianimal I've never seen any for kids that young. Buts its never to early to start teaching them on your own if possible. Good luck.
Roywhite You can sign up for Soccer in Mansfield for the fall season as long as your child turns 4 by Oct 1, 2016.
Anonymus 
Andy Loigu let the three year old be a three year old - it passes all too fast - nothing wrong with you playing catch etc with your child - but competitive sports - please - no
4catmom Although I think it is WAY TO EARLY for a child to be involved in team sports, the OP's question is legit since some states do have 5 year old travel teams and tournaments.
Clyde Potts First off I don't know why everyone is bashing this post. I have the same question for my 3 year old. At this age it's not really competitive it's for fun but something to get them social with other kids and have fun running around playing something. I have seen many teams start at age 3 however none in Hackettstown. Anonymous where and when can I sign up for the fall soccer?
Kayla Perfect age to start learning skills for individual sports. Horseback riding lessons, skiing, swimming.
hktownie Schedule a "playdate" with another child and throw a ball out into the backyard and let them kick it around. Go out with them yourself and kick and throw a large ball together.
Take them to the town pool and let them splash in the water with other kids. Get a little blow up pool, invite a couple of friends over and let them splash to their hearts content. Go to the (beautiful!!) playground at the Nelson Hoyt Park and let them play with other children who are playing there.
Buy some bubbles and go outside and let your little one chase bubbles. Go for walks and take time to search for "treasures": rocks, sticks, flowers, bugs.....Go for bike rides together.
Take a couple of kids to the bowling alley, and ask them to set up the bumpers.
Sign up for the various VBS programs that allow 3 year olds-they'll have fun, rec. time, stories, and most important-developmentally appropriate activities for little ones.
"Leagues" for 3 year olds is a frightening concept for me. At that age, they need to run, jump, play, share, laugh, but not in an organized "league". I promise that they'll do those things when it's more developmentally appropriate. Cherish just spending time giggling and enjoying your three year old this summer. It's time you'll never get back..... good luck.
summerrain1 
Hot corner We should have the 3 Year Old Olympics !! Or better yet......Sports for Infants !!!
Veggiegirl 
Dima Parents yelling about coaches and umpires ... ugh ... what a thing for three-year-olds to learn.
summerrain1 you are so right! My kids are mostly grown now, but I miss those years very much! The innocent time from about age 3-5 when we would go outside and do the things you suggested, and I got to see the world through their eyes. We also raised butterflies from caterpillars, and frogs from tadpoles.
Yes, summerrain1 has some great ideas and those are all wonderful things to do with your child, but....How do we know that Pat isnt already doing all of that? All she asked was if there were leagues for 3 yr olds. Maybe she is a stay at home mom that spends every waking minute engaging with her child. Maybe they are new to the area and do not know anyone yet. Maybe her child is not attending any type of preschool or daycare. Maybe she thought by involving her child in a sport that they could have interaction with other children their age. Maybe she thought it would be a good way for her child to start to separate from her and take direction from others. Maybe she comes from a long line of athletes and starting at that young age is normal.
Just because she was looking for a sport for a three year old doesn't mean she doesn't spend quality time with her child or that she is not allowing the child to develop in an appropriate manner.
Most sports that start at that young age is just a fun introduction for them. I have never seen competition at that level. They do not even keep score. Therefore I don't think there has to be any concern about parents yelling at coaches or another parent.
I'm just curious what is the difference between joining a soccer league at 3 and going to dance, karate, gymnastics, the kid fitness classes, or anything similar at that age? It is all the same concept if you ask me, just different style of movement.
JRT JRT, I was pretty sure someone would bring up the issue of dance, karate, gymnastics, etc. vs. team sports in an organized type of league. The difference, IMHO, is that those things that you listed are individual activities rather than a team activity. I think gymnastics, dance, karate, are terrific for little ones, as they can help teach body awareness-improve coordination-give them exercise and, one hopes, fun at the same time...as long as they are in a program that understands and implements developmentally appropriate activities.
Soccer, T-ball, etc. are team sports, and as soon as it becomes a competition against another team, everything changes. We were at a kindergarten soccer game recently (no family member participating), and you are sadly wrong about coaches and parents yelling. The sides were 3 v. 3, no goalie, no score keeping. Seems pretty benign right?
Nope.....I heard parents yelling "Take that ball away!!", "Get in there, Lola-get in their way!", "C'mon David....I want to see you RUN for that ball!", and worse. The coaches were doing their best to make sure that all the kids were having fun, but there were clearly parents who thought they were coaching the next Jozy Altidore or Abby Wambach. It happens all the time.
Good Grief...I am sure she was just asking to find out ways to keep her child active and moving. Which for that she deserves credit. Maybe she should just call it a day and buy an Ipad for 3 year old since the evils of anything rec or organized and have been made clear here.
CraftBeerBob Instructing a child playing soccer to run and take the ball away? What monsters. I hope you called DYFS...
rec sports for 3 year olds in nothing more than a babysitting service. They can't learn a sport at that level. its just controlled chaos. and barely controlled at that. Heck Tee ball with 5 year old is a struggle I can't imagine what it would be like for 3 year olds.
Lol ianimal!
Hmm that's funny because although dance, karate, gymnastics etc... May not be called a TEAM they most certainly are expected to work together as a group. I have no clue about gymnastics, but in dance there is a recital at the end and each child plays an important part to make a whole. In karate, twice a year they are required to attend a Shiai where they show what they have learned to earn a promotion. They also perform a skit as a group therfore they must work together (just like a team)
I have seen 3 year olds play on a soccer team. Quite honestly it was not chaotic at all. I guess these instructors knew how to handle the age group they were working with. No, there was no competition as far as score keeping or winners/losers. It was just a bunch of kids having fun kicking a ball around. Not sure how it would be considered babysitting since all parents were on site? As far as parents yelling, I never witnessed the nastiness that occurs at the older level. Of course parents are going to encourage their kids to get the ball? Isn't that how the game is played? I'm sure you would much rather that the parents sit with their faces glued to their phones like most do not paying attention to a single thing that their kid does. That way when little Johnny looks up to see if mommy saw him kick the ball he can just be disappointed once again...
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