Want to get your children involved with football? Maybe you are an absolute die-hard fanatic of football, or maybe you just think it is cool for them to be able to say that they are involved with sports. Whatever your reason is for wanting your children involved with football, remember that getting your kids into the beautiful game is all about keeping it fun and easy, without bombarding them with rigorous exercises, let alone forcing them to watch an entire match of 90 minutes. It is all about keeping football fun for your kids with these top tips...

1. Start With The Basics in a Playful Environment

Did you now, children don't dream about doing cone drills. We know, it's a shocker! If the first thing that kids do with you and a football is lines and cones and you, or an adult for that matter, yelling "again," like some kind of Sergeant Major, well, let's just say you'll have lost half the battle right there. Yet somehow, sneaking in fun games that just happen to involve a football is where it's at. "Stuck in the Mud" with a ball? Genius.

"Sharks and Minnows," where children have to kick their balls into an area while others are trying to steal their balls? Children will play that for hours. "King of the Ring," where everyone tries their best to keep their balls within a ring while attempting to kick other balls out? It will be total mayhem and absolute comedy gold, but it will be embedding those skills in their brains - when their focus is somewhere else, an important something is getting done. Next thing you know they will be making those on the ball moves and having reactions that could become second nature.

2. Make It Social and Inclusive

Children are pack animals, meaning they want to play where all the other children hang out, doing all the things that all the other kids can be found doing, so if one of their best friends is busy playing football, then, guess who wants to play football now? Of course, this is essentially peer pressure, but it is the positive kind. Arrange kick-about sessions at the local park, encouraging all to bring along all their friends, providing an atmosphere where all are included, despite being incapable of telling the difference between a goal kick and a corner kick.

What about shy children who are stepping onto the pitch for the first time? Give him a few high fives! Channel that positive attitude. And then, of course, there is the part where everybody participates. Nothing can more quickly destroy interest or passion for the game faster for a child than to stand on the sidelines and watch the 'good kids' play. Positions change and teams change often, and the child who finally scores the elusive goal can get just as much recognition for his efforts.

3. Let Them Watch (and Copy) Their Heroes

Children are brilliant mimics. Show them clips of amazing goals, incredible saves, or spectacular skills, and watch their eyes light up. Suddenly, they're in the garden attempting Messi dribbles or practicing Salah's celebration. Take them to watch live football if you can, whether that's the local team or a bigger match. The atmosphere, the excitement, the shared experience of thousands of people caring deeply about a ball going into a net, it's infectious! Even watching matches together at home works. Just be prepared for them to immediately want to recreate what they've seen, which means moving the furniture and accepting that your living room is now Wembley Stadium.

Get them a shirt of their favourite team or player. Let them choose who they support (even if it breaks your heart that they've chosen your rival team – stay strong). When children feel connected to the professional game, their backyard kickabouts suddenly have more meaning.

4. The Magical World of Collecting Football Shirts

There's something almost magical about football kits for kids. The bright colours, the famous badges, the names of legendary players emblazoned across the back – it's like wearable fandom, and children absolutely love it. Start by getting them a shirt from their favourite team (or help them choose one if they haven't picked yet). Once they've got that first shirt, they're not just watching football anymore – they're part of it. They're wearing the same kit as their heroes. 

The beauty of shirt collecting is that it grows with them. Birthdays and holidays suddenly have built-in gift options. Going on holiday to Spain? Grab a Barcelona or Real Madrid shirt as a souvenir. Visiting family in Manchester? You know what to do! Some families even make it a tradition to collect shirts from different countries and leagues, creating a colourful wardrobe that tells the story of their football journey. Children love comparing their collections with friends too. "I've got the away kit!" "Well, I've got last season's third kit." It becomes this wonderful social thing that connects them with other young fans.

5. Be the Enthusiastic Adult They Need

The energy that you show is highly infectious. If you are just standing around watching your child play, saying "good job" after about three minutes while watching your  staring at your phone, your children will know that you are unimpressed faster than you can say "injury time." So get involved. Be your child’s goalie. Dare them to score past you. Dramatically trip over your own two feet if they nutmeg you while playing. You need to show them that enthusiasm can go a long way. By showing your children that you don’t mind being completely daft, you will be allowing them to be less self-concious. 

Praise your children. Not just an empty "good job." Pour your heart out while giving compliments. You may say "did you see that great turn you made?" or "good job bending that shot." Praise your child for effort if you have seen them improve. Kids thrive on positive reinforcement. It will make them feel good about themselves and it will make them want to play again.

6. Create Garden or Living Room Football Activities

There doesn't even have to be a pitch to practice football skills or have football fun - you can make your own football challenge at home. Use a soft ball and do "keepy uppy" challenges with your child or make a passing game where your child earns points for returning the ball so many times in a row. Any challenge can become football themed and you could make a scoreboard that gets tallied up at the end of the week for a reward.

Just don’t use all football games as learning opportunities. The truth is, sometimes the kick-around simply happens, without analysis, without learning, without going on and on about what could have been, and so forth. The goal isn’t the building of the next football icon of greatness. No, the goal simply should be the building of children who love to run, love to play, perhaps even love to kick the ball about and watch football with you on the TV, that would be good wouldn’t it?