Toddler football class length is entirely dependent on your toddler’s age and attention span. Read on to find out more. 

When you are considering taking your toddler to football classes, you need to know that they will be right for your toddler. A big part of a football class being right for a toddler is that the class is the right length. 

Within this article, we will look at toddler football class length and, in particular, how long they should be. 

Toddler football class length. Image shows two toddlers at a Socatots class.

What Affects The Toddler Football Class Length? 

Before we get into how long a toddler football class should be, let us first look into what actually affects the toddler football class length. 

Your Toddler’s Attention Span 

One of the biggest things that will have an affect on toddler football class length is your toddler’s attention span. 

Attention span refers to your toddler’s ability to pay attention (focus or concentration) on either a person, an object, or an activity while also being able to ignore other interesting (and even not-so-interesting) things that are going on simultaneously.

When it comes to babies, toddlers and preschoolers, their attention span is dependent on their age. 

What Is The Average Attention Span For A Toddler? 

As we have mentioned, the average attention span for a toddler is dependent on their age. 

The average attention span of a 2-year-old falls between 4 and 6 minutes and that bumps to 6 and 8 minutes for 3-year-olds.

This means that most toddlers are capable of playing on their own for short periods of time but, in order to do a longer activity like a football class, they require support and encouragement from a parent or other adult. 

It is also really important with toddlers to give one instruction at a time. It is not until they are around that they can follow two-step instructions such as “Close the door and pass me your book.”

 

Are There Other Factors That Affect A Toddler’s Ability To Focus?

Yes, there are many other factors that will affect your toddlers ability to concentrate. These will be things such as:

  • Your toddler simply isn’t interested in the task/activity at hand
  • They are in a chaotic environment with loud noises, flashing lights etc.
  • Your toddler is hungry
  • They are feeling stressed 
  • Your toddler is tired

How Long Should Toddler Football Classes Be?

This brings us nicely to the question in hand and gathering how long toddler football classes should be. 

Football classes need to be longer than the 4-8 minutes that a toddler can hold their attention span on their own but you also don’t want to push them to a point where they are frustrated and no longer enjoying the football class.

We feel that 35 to 40 minutes is about the right toddler football class length. This is long enough for your toddler to learn a new skill and to have fun but to not get fed up, bored or frustrated. 

The Other Factors Needed For A Successful Toddler Football Class 

There are other factors that need to be considered, alongside the toddler football class length, when it comes to toddler football classes. Within this section, we will delve into some of these other factors. 

Football Classes Are Fun

When it comes to toddler football classes, they have to be fun. The only way you will keep a toddler engaged and excited is if they are having fun. Their football classes can’t feel like a chore so make sure to have lots of games and activities planned. 

Variety Of Different Activities

As we have found out, toddlers do not have long attention spans so it is a good idea to break your football classes into different activities. 

We make sure to do this at Socatots.  Each session starts with Free Play, where we have music on whilst the coach greets you, gets the equipment set up for the session and hands out footballs. As the session progresses, the fun stays with more songs, games and sequences that are fun but are also helping your child develop many skills. And at the end, everyone gets a sticker and a round of applause. 

Parents Are Involved 

Another factor that will aid a successful toddler football class is if parents are involved. As we have already mentioned, toddlers cannot hold their attention for long periods of time without the support and encouragement of an adult. Having their parents involved will help them to stay engaged with the entire class. 

We also like parents to be involved because it will help to increase your toddlers confidence and self-esteem, whilst strengthening the emotional bond that you share. 

How Long Should a Toddler’s Football Class Be?

Going on how long a toddler’s attention span is, we feel that, with the help of their parents and coaches, 35 to 40 minutes is the ideal toddler football class length. 

It is important that parents are involved and that the football classes have a variety of activities that are all fun. These factors will all help to keep your toddler engaged throughout the class. 

We hope you have found this article helpful. If you would like to know more about our football classes, please click here to find your local class.