Using a Home Basketball Court to Teach your Kid about the Lines

Basketball is not only a fun way to exercise but it’s also an activity that can be shared between a parent and a child. When teaching your kid how to play basketball it’s important to explain the meanings of all the lines on the court, and while you could explain them through words, kids learn a lot better with visual elements and by engaging in the actual activity. Using a home basketball court to teach your kids what all the lines mean is the best way to do it. 

Taking your children out onto a home basketball court allows them to learn by doing and gives them a nice visual. It’s also important that you understand the lines before attempting to teach them to your kids. 

All basketball courts have symmetry, meaning the court is cut in half in the middle and both sides mirror one another by the midcourt line. Walk your children out to the center line and face them to one side, explaining that it is exactly the same as the other side while turning them 180 degrees. 

After explaining the concept of symmetry, you can now use just half of the court to explain the rest of the lines because they are exactly the same as on the other half. 

Start at the midcourt line of your home basketball court and work your way to the basket. You will pass the center circle first, which is 12 feet in diameter and marks the very center of the court where the toss takes place to begin the game. 

This is where using an actual court comes in handy. Grab a ball and show them what the center toss will look like. This allows your children to connect the action with the line on the court. 

Next, walk them toward the next line, which will be the three-point arc. Walk around the half circle and explain that any shot made behind this line is worth three points. Note that both feet must be behind the line. Now let your kids try it out by taking a couple shots from the line. 

Precede forward to the free throw line and free throw lane. These are often the most confusing lines on the home basketball court, which makes it nice to be able to physically stand on them. This is where most of the actions of the game will take place. After explaining the rules of the lines, let your children take a couple free throw shots to remember what that line means. 

Now that you have walked your children around the home basketball court and explained all the lines, it’s time to start putting this knowledge to use. Grab a basketball and start playing!

Alyssa Koenig is an athletics writer for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Sport Court. Follow on Twitter.