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We often get asked for suggestions about the best balls for kids in any particular sport, and here’s our latest installment, focusing on the best footballs for kids whether for on-the-field game use, or just for fun off the gridiron.
Summary
- We choose the Franklin Sports Grip-Rite 1000 Synthetic Leather Football. As the top all-around football for kids whether just for fun, or for real game play.
- Smaller kids in particular will love to have the Champion Sports Pee-Wee Rubber Football bounding all over the house and yard.
- The Passback Junior Composite Football and its unique snub end lets young quarterbacks practice throws even without another player to catch them.
- On a budget? Go with the great American classic, NERF! This time we suggest the NERF Pro Grip Football for your foam ball-driven delights.
- For leisure play we direct to the GlowCity Glow in the Dark Football., a crazy-fun ball useful whether or not there’s light.
- Kids with small hands should like the spiral grooves on the Franklin Sports Foam Football ~ a small foam football that rivals the NERF with its low pricing.
What to Look for with Footballs for Kids
When buying footballs for kids many things come into consideration. Primarily, which age are we talking about? And second, is it for game play or fun play?
There are more football models than we could list designed just for fun, whether to play catch in the backyard or for youths to use in sandlot games.
So that’s where you start. If it’s a football for actual game play, find out the player’s age division and league, and maybe check their rules in terms of which ball they use.
For instance, not everyone knows they don’t use the same football for the National Football League and college football games. The NFL ball is a tad thinner and better designed for passing, and it has no stripes. College balls have a white stripe over half of both ends; so it looks different in the air.
Our Choices: Best Footballs for Kids for 2024
1. Best Football for Kids for 2024 Overall ~ Franklin Sports Grip-Rite 1000 Synthetic Leather Football
Analysis
This manufacturer is known for its focus on younger athletes, and we really like what we see with the Franklin Sports Grip-Rite 1000 Synthetic Leather Football. This particular model of football, we believe, is the best for kids whether for real-game play or leisurely fun.
The 1000 looks like a professional football, with clean faux leather and crisp painted lines, which young players will appreciate. But what’s most important with this model is that it is designed to assist players with actions like throwing and catching the ball, with its size, and pebbled surface.
Notice the attention to detail here, like the pro-style white laces for quarterbacks to use to grip. The laces are hand-sewn, just like those they use on TV. Franklin put a lot of attention into building this all-weather ball to last.
Specifications
- Material: Synthetic leather
- Weight: 0.96 lbs.
- Size: 10 inches long by 6 inches wide (Junior sized)
- Style: For novice-beginner
- Special Feature(s): Grip-Rite simulated leather cover
What We Like
- The overall look is clean and crisp
- Feels good in kids’ hands
2. Best Football for Kids for 2024 Runner-Up ~ Champion Sports Pee-Wee Rubber Football
Analysis
For the first runner-up we go smaller and recommend the Champion Sports Pee-Wee Rubber Football. Almost everyone who ever played modern football started with the smaller rubber versions that bounced around the house and yard for who knows how long.
These rubber footballs are a blast to have, but not all of them last long considering the hours and hard use. This manufacturer has produced solid sporting goods equipment for over a half-century, and we particularly like this model.
Keys here is that this model is water-resistant ~ water being a mortal enemy of rubber sports balls for as long as we can remember ~ and its 2-ply butyl bladder to keep in the air. This ball arrives deflated and a pump is not included, so be prepared for that.
Specifications
- Material: Synthetic
- Weight: 10.2 oz.
- Size: 9 inches by 3 inches by 3 inches
- Style: Pee-wee size
- Special Feature(s): Water-resistant
What We Like
- Quality rubber resistant to water damage
- Very well-designed bladder system to avoid leaks or poppage
3. Best Football for Kids for 2024 Runner-Up II ~ Passback Junior Composite Football
Analysis
Fledgling quarterbacks don’t always have another player for games of catch, so the Passback Junior Composite Football resolves the matter! This does not look like your normal kids’ football, because it isn’t. One side of the Passback football is blunt, or flat, instead of pointed like normal footballs.
Pointing that flat end forward, the player throws the Passback against a wall or other hard surface, and it spirals right back to the thrower. No need for a pitch-back “rebounder” net, or costly throwing machines.
Besides being fun to play with, the Passback is an excellent training tool because it allows as many repetitions as the player can handle. It’s also solid for receivers, who can really improve reaction time and their hand-eye coordination by throwing and catching the Passback from a short distance.
Specifications
- Material: Composite
- Weight: 0.7 lbs.
- Size: 8 inches by 5 inches by 5 inches
- Style: Training tool
- Special Feature(s): Blunt bounce-back end
What We Like
- Synthetic leather composite for durability
- 60-day warranty from date of delivery confirmation
4. Best Football for Kids for 2024 on a Budget ~ NERF Pro Grip Football
Analysis
Every American football player is familiar with the NERF ball, that squishy multi-use ball. For those on a budget who still want to make their young footballer happy, we suggest the NERF Pro Grip Football, a true classic for any young boy whether for football game play or not.
This squishy foam football is super easy to hold and catch, and throw all over the place. For this model, NERF added a faux grip strip to emulate real footballs, a nice touch.
The cool thing about this particular football, for parents anyway, is its semi-soft nature which means less chance of breaking things indoors with errant tosses, or causing injury when an older child throws a little too hard to a younger one.
Specifications
- Material: Foam
- Weight: 8.8 oz.
- Size: 10.5 inches
- Style: Toy
- Special Feature(s):
What We Like
- Brand trust
- Pro grip strip better for throwing
5. Best Football for Kids for 2024 for Leisure Play ~ GlowCity Glow in the Dark Football
Analysis
There are a lot of crazy-fun footballs on the market these days for kids, but if you really want to “wow!” that little player, try one that basically glows in the dark. Among several choices, we point to the GlowCity Glow in the Dark Football.
This ball features a pair of LED lights that can provide up to 30 hours of dark time enjoyment. The ball also can be used during the day, of course, but remember to turn off the lights to save battery life.
The lights activate with a simple tap, and if you forget, they automatically turn off after a while. This football is water-resistant and plenty durable.
Specifications
- Material: Rubber
- Size: 10 inches by 6.3 inches by 3.5 inches
- Weight: 0.8 lbs.
- Style: Adult 10-inch
- Special Feature(s): Comes with 3 Lithium metal batteries
What We Like
- Durable
- Light weight
6. Best Football for Kids for 2024 to Play Catch ~ Franklin Sports Foam Football
Analysis
The Franklin Sports Foam Football is even more affordable than the classic NERF football, but we chose not to make it our budget ball because it’s hard to use it in real play. Just like the NERF classic, almost every modern football player is aware of these smaller footballs with a spiral exterior design that adds to velocity and distance of throws.
It’s hard to imagine a more fun way to play catch with a football than with one of their spiral thingies. Seriously, you throw it hard and the sucker flies off the hand, zipping way further downfield than a player can expect with a regular ball. It’s fun to watch!
It’s super affordable and also made of foam so parents can have peace of mind that things will not be broken or kids’ noses or fingers broken. The grooved spiral design is to spin the ball faster and therefore push the ball faster and harder; but the groove also adds extra grip to help little hands throw.
Specifications
- Material: Foam
- Weight: 0.5 lbs.
- Size: 9 inches
- Style: Toy
- Special Feature(s): Spiral groove
What We Like
- Groove feature helps little hands grip
- Small foamy thing is safe