Children's Basketball Hoops

Shooting hoops is one of the few activities that can be done at just about any age. There are hoops designed for children starting at the age of 2. It's a great way for toddlers to begin developing motor skills, while of course having fun as well. It's a pleasure to watch the reaction that a little one has when they make a basket.

The best investment for a toddler is to buy a hoop that can adjust in height so he or she can use it for several years. The Fisher-Price I Can Play Basketball hoop is a good example. The height adjusts from 3-6 feet, so it can be raised as your child grows. The recommended age for this model is from 2-5 years. It's currently priced at $55, so that is a pretty good investment.

Once a child is in the 5-7 range, they will probably be ready for a hoop that provides a little more of a challenge. This could mean buying a youth basketball hoop that adjusts somewhere between 7.5 - 10 feet. An adjustable model is ideal so your child won't outgrow it as fast.

Youth basketball hoops are for children in that stage where they have out-grown the toy hoops, but perhaps aren't quite ready for a regulation sized one. They typically have a backboard size in the 32-50-inch range, are portable, and have a base that can be filled with sand or water. The rim is usually a classic style as opposed to a breakaway that is seen on more expensive hoops.

Which hoop you decide to purchase really boils down to your budget and how much space you have available. The more money you have to spend, the better the hoop will be. If you have limited space, then the backboard size will likely have to be smaller.

These hoops can be placed outdoors or indoors if you have a high enough ceilings. An ideal spot might be an outdoor patio area, since kids won't be shooting long-range shots at this point. The backboard materials do vary, as you will find ones that either use polycarbonate, acrylic, or graphite most of the time.

Polycarbonate is considered to be the strongest and best of the three. Acrylic is also a very solid material that would work just fine as well. The bigger the backboard, the better, since kids will have a bigger target to aim at.