Gift Guide

a boy shadow boxing with a ninja
Sharper Image
20 Unique Gifts For Your Sports-Loving Kid

So you don’t have to store yet another basketball in the garage.

by Ellen Schmidt
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Looking for out-of-the-box gift ideas for your sports-obsessed kid this holiday season? While you may already be covered when it comes to basketballs, soccer nets, and tennis rackets, fear not, dear shoppers. Turns out, there are plenty of unique sports gifts for kids that can keep your energetic child engaged during the winter months and beyond. We all know the benefits of kids playing sports are numerous, from boosting self-esteem to acting as a natural stress reliever, so this is great news for parents when it comes to holiday shopping this year. Regardless of the season, these sporty gift ideas are each designed to get your kid moving and having fun during any time of the year.

From going for the perfect knockout with an inflatable punching bag set to practicing karate moves against a shadow opponent on the wall (yes, really!), these sports gifts for kids really take things up a notch in the sports gift-giving department. And you never know, you may even want to join in on many of these games, too. Here's to keeping kids active and engaged this holiday season, and giving them something they haven't seen before. Read on for 23 insanely fun sports gifts for kids to give this holiday season.

We only include products that have been independently selected by Romper's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

1Go For The Knockout

This Kids Boxing Set features a weighted base that won't hurt to kick or punch, making it the perfect set for kids who want to be introduced to the sport of boxing. Your child will stay active this winter while developing fundamental hand-eye coordination with the three adjustable speed and skill modes that come with this set. They can follow the lights and strike when lit like their own version of Whack-A-Mole. The added sound effects make kicking and punching even more fun. Plus, it comes with a pair of Franklin Future Champs inflatable boxing gloves, which are comically ginormous and allow for hours of boxing practice.

2Run Leaps & Bounds In New Kicks

We absolutely love the rainbow colors of these girls’ Puma slip-on sneakers. If your sporty kid is in need of a new pair of kicks, then these bright and playful shoes might be a good option. In conjunction with being fun and adorable, these kicks are also incredibly durable and designed to be both comfortable and functional for kids. They feature a breathable fabric, an easy slip-on design, a cushioning soft foam insole, a sturdy outsole, a breathable shoe lining, and a pull loop at heel and tongue for an easier child-approved on-and-off experience. For the active kid on the go, they can skip the shoe-tying altogether with these shoes.

3Darts Without Possibly Losing An Eye

I've always loved the idea of darts, minus the part where I get stuck with one in the arm, or you know, my eyeball. Stomp Rocket Magnetic Darts to the rescue! I was already a big fan of this brand, but I love that they're making a darts game that's safe for kids. This magnetic dart board game for children and teens features safe, kid-friendly, parent-approved darts with magnets that securely stick to the dartboard and not the walls — so you don’t have to worry about kids firing the darts and ruining your living room paint or wallpaper. With this game, your kid can learn hand-eye coordination, precision, patience, and even math skills.

4Me & My Shadow

Your child can put their martial arts skills to the test with this Shadow Fighter by Sharper Image. A projector emits a shadowy ninja on the wall, performing a variety of offensive and defensive maneuvers as your child gets their exercise in while battling it out with their shadowy opponent. Choose between three different game levels and a practice mode while listening to in-game music that keeps the moves exciting. This toy requires AA batteries and is geared toward children aged 5 and up. After battling face-to-face against a shadowy virtual martial arts master, your kid might soon become a master themselves.

5Air Hockey On The Floor

This classic arcade game gets an at-home refresher with this Hockey Frenzy game set from MindWare. Unlike air hockey, which requires a giant, expensive table that takes up lots of space, this hockey system game provides thrilling, lightning-speed face-offs with no electricity required (and without taking up the entire living room). Featuring a sturdy game frame with high-energy PowerBand technology that converts any floor surface into a play arena, even carpet, you can play with the friction-defying pucks for high-speed ricochet action. The set comes with the frame, two goalie mallets, two carpet pucks, and two puck surface protector pads.

6Mini Warriors Can Now Play At Home

If your child dreams of being an American Ninja Warrior one day, they can begin training ahead of time with this American Ninja Warrior Competition Set. The set includes two reinforced hop sacks for racing, eight agility rings with connectors, and three adjustable height hurdles. With its easy set-up design, this American Ninja Warrior competition set is a fun way to spend time with family and friends in the front yard, back garden, or a day trip to the local park — and best of all, it takes mere minutes to set up the ninja course and get to training like a ninja warrior. Now, get ready to hop!

7Disc Golf & Horseshoes, Oh My!

Bottle Bash is a unique activity that combines the games of disc golf and horseshoes with a few new twists to keep it interesting for all. A game that the whole family can enjoy together, the objective is to knock your opponent’s bottle off the pole by throwing the disc. Think it sounds easy? Well, think again! The set includes two aluminum poles, two bottles, two ground stakes, one disc, and a mesh storage bag, making it easy to be neatly put away. This game set is suitable and fun for all ages and great for everything from backyard fun, tailgating, and camping trips to beach days, barbecues, and park picnics.

8Use Your Towel And Wear It Too

For every kid who loves to spend their days at the beach and in the water or who loves swimming in pools, whether for recreation or competitively, this hooded towel is a must. A two-in-one towel and hoodie to wrap themselves in after a dip into the water, it’s super comfy and soft to the touch, and it also comes with two buttons to secure it into jacket form. Not to mention, the towel hoodie is machine washable and features an extra cute and kid-friendly pattern for your kiddo to flaunt poolside or beachside while they’re drying off quickly and cozily.

9Surf's Up (In Your Living Room)

For those kiddies who dream of one day surfing in the summer or snowboarding in the winter comes a unique toy that they can use to work on their balance all year long from the comfort of home. Spooner Balance Boards connect you with the same feeling you get from surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding. Crafted using high density polyethylene, the board is molded into a unique patented curve, size, and shape for an ultimate balancing experience. So if you intend on raising the next gold-medal winning Chloe Kim, Shaun White, Momiji Nishiya, or Carissa Moore, then this sports gift for kids is perfect — plus, it’s super fun to do in front of the TV.

10Throw, Kick, Listen For The Swish

Have your sporty kiddo practice their football throw and kick, all while enjoying that basketball-like "swish" when their football goes through the net of this three-hole football target toss. Easy to inflate, this is a great toy to take to the park or a friend’s house, but it also works just fine at home. It features an interior frame made of a durable PVC so it can last through all kicks and throws, plus a water-filled base to add extra stability. It even pops back up after each throw, ready for another turn! This will be a hit at any party.

11A Visit To The Animal Croquet Zoo

Who said croquet was just for snobby older folks? This classic backyard game takes on a cute zoo twist by featuring adorable animal- and tree-shaped obstacles for your child to play with. The Lakeshore croquet set can be played outdoors and indoors, as it comes with five freestanding targets that can be set up on hardwood floors, carpet, or stalked right into the grass. It also comes with four wooden mallets that are sized perfectly for kids ages 4 to 10 years old, along with four color-coordinated wooden balls to hit. Get the family together for some non-traditional holiday game time.

12No Ball, No Problem

Made for children ages 6 and older, Virtual Pong is a fast-paced game that keeps players hopping as they swing at a simulated “ball of light” that bounces off the walls and ceiling. It’s kind of like what tennis might be like in 100 years. Coming with a pair of electronic “racquets,” your kid can play solo against an automated opponent or challenge a friend or family member to a fiercely competitive game. This might even be the center attraction at a kid’s birthday party — or frankly, one for adults, too. The first one to 11 wins, so game on!

13A Jersey Of Their Favorite Team's Player

I'm pretty sure that when you get a kid a jersey of their favorite player or sports team, they instantly cover you in a million hugs. That's how it works, right? Be it for Major League Baseball, WNBA, European football (AKA soccer), or American football, your sporty kiddo will feel amazing wearing their team supporter gear. And high-fives will certainly be incoming from other fans when they wear their new jersey on game day. If you are a Baltimore Ravens household, this Lamar Jackson jersey will definitely do the trick as a gift for your little football fan this holiday season.

14A Gnarly Board

As if the skateboarding medal competitions at the Tokyo Olympics didn’t convince you, skateboarding has quickly become not just a fun pastime but a highly elite sports activity, too. Gift your kiddo a rad skateboard already fit with a deck and accompanying wheels, such as this one from Proper Gnar, to help them get started in the sport. From there, you can also get them a helmet as well as knee and elbow pads for safe riding as they begin their skateboarding journey. Sooner than you know, they will be pulling off kickflips, ollies, and maybe even grinding on rails just like the pros do.

15You Gotta Just Roll With It

Turn your backyard into an amusement park with this giant inflatable rolling wheel game. Your little kid will feel like a hamster making the inflatable wheel roll around, and they will get some good exercise at the same time (so they won’t be bouncing off the walls come dinner time). It’s a win-win. While you’ll have to purchase a pump separately, this 45-inch diameter wheel is totally worth it and easily inflates and deflates. And for your kids’ safety, the seams of the wheel are reinforced for durability to withstand plenty of pushing and rolling — with adult supervision, of course.

16Hopscotch Minus The Dirty Sidewalk

Next up is another perfect and fun gift for the little ones in your life this holiday season. A timeless and popular playground game like hopscotch never goes out of style as a children’s game, but this hopscotch play mat version now comes in the format of a nice and clean play mat to keep inside your house. That way, your kiddo and their friends can play in their bare feet or socks and not out on the pavement. Not to mention, this hopscotch court won’t fade away, and if it does need cleaning, you can just throw it into the washing machine to make it good as new.

17Light Up The Night

The classic game of ring toss just got way more fun thanks to Glow City's LED lights. This set comes with two LED stakes and two red and two blue rings to practice your arm toss in a fun way. The whole set is battery operated, and the batteries can be easily replaced, allowing you to use this game over and over as a fun party game or nighttime activity. This game is especially useful for late night summer barbecues or with all the lights turned off in the living room at home for a fun evening in with the family.

18Go Climbing Inside Your House

This is a wonderful gift if you want to introduce your little one to sporty pursuits like climbing. The Triangle Climber is a unique playground that can be transformed into a Swedish Wall inside the comfort of your home and is the perfect activity for kids starting at 6 months to 7 years old. It will provide endless opportunities for learning and fun, as the triangle can be transformed into many different shapes for children to explore and climb. Playing with the climbing triangle and wall can help your kiddo develop dexterity, balance, motor skills, muscle development, and healthy joints for all of their outdoor pursuits later in life.

19A Mitt Of Dreams

This is a glove for a kid who absolutely loves baseball. This Infielder’s Glove is a limited edition design by Steelo, an independent professional glove maker that supplies equipment for top Major League Baseball players. Sized down to fit a child, this glove brings serious color home to your little one from the ballpark, featuring a two-tone blue shell, red mesh finger backing with white trim, blue laces, and gold contrasting stamps with white logos. It’s crafted with genuine cowhide and mesh construction for durability and a game-ready feel. This glove might even be the catalyst that inspires a future star player and MLB rookie of the year.

20Bring Golfland To You

The Wonder & Wise Mini Golf Set will be just as cute and aesthetically pleasing as it is fun and functional when you give it to your little one. It features a variety of obstacles, tunnels, bridges, and flags that will allow your kiddo to have a different game every time they play. In total, it comes with three holes and flags, two wooden balls, a five-piece rainbow tunnel, bead curtain obstacle, spinner obstacle, flat bridge, and wavy bridge to navigate through. Additionally, the wooden putters that are included in the set are height-adjustable, so they will perfectly suit any little golf pro aged 3 or above.

Any one of these sports gifts for kids will keep any child busy and happy during the winter months right on through to the summer. For more gift suggestions for children of all ages, check out Romper's comprehensive list of the best toys for babies, toddlers, kids, and tweens this season.

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