How to Play Pickleball with Your Kids
Published On: April 24, 2025Here’s the Turf Take on playing pickleball with your kids.
I love Coach Simone’s approach to coaching her seven-year-old son, Landon on how to play and enjoy pickleball. Check out her tips in this fun YouTube video.
I play with my 13-year old sons. The key, like Coach Simone says, is to keep it positive so that they will want to play again and again. While there are specific rules to the game, when playing with young kids, focus on smiles rather than sticking to strict rules.
Equipment
Basically, you need a pickleball paddle for each player as well as a pickleball ball.
I love Coach Simone’s approach to coaching her seven-year-old son, Landon on how to play and enjoy pickleball. Check out her tips in this fun YouTube video.
I play with my 13-year old sons. The key, like Coach Simone says, is to keep it positive so that they will want to play again and again. While there are specific rules to the game, when playing with young kids, focus on smiles rather than sticking to strict rules.
Equipment
Basically, you need a pickleball paddle for each player as well as a pickleball ball.
Pickleball Paddles.
Paddles come in a variety of materials from the top end Prince graphite model, to lower cost wood paddles like these found on Amazon. I opted for an inexpensive pair of wooden paddles that came with two pickleball balls.
Paddles come in a variety of materials from the top end Prince graphite model, to lower cost wood paddles like these found on Amazon. I opted for an inexpensive pair of wooden paddles that came with two pickleball balls.
Pickleball Balls.
There are two types of pickleball balls, those designed for indoor use, and those designed for outdoor use. Indoor balls have 26 larger holes while outdoor balls have 40 smaller holes and are heavier than their indoor counterpart.
USA Pickleball has created standards for all pickleball equipment and can be found here if you’re getting serious about competing – the standards and rules are good to know: https://usapickleball.org/docs/USA-Pickleball-Official-Rulebook-2023-v2.pdf
There are two types of pickleball balls, those designed for indoor use, and those designed for outdoor use. Indoor balls have 26 larger holes while outdoor balls have 40 smaller holes and are heavier than their indoor counterpart.
USA Pickleball has created standards for all pickleball equipment and can be found here if you’re getting serious about competing – the standards and rules are good to know: https://usapickleball.org/docs/USA-Pickleball-Official-Rulebook-2023-v2.pdf
Here's an excerpt of the basic rules from the USA Pickleball Rulebook
Pickleball is a paddle sport played using a special perforated ball on a 20-foot-by-44-foot court with a tennis-type net.
Pickleball is a paddle sport played using a special perforated ball on a 20-foot-by-44-foot court with a tennis-type net.
The court is divided into right/even and left/odd service courts and non-volley zones.
The ball is served diagonally across the net to the opponent’s receiving court using an approved motion.
The ball is struck back and forth across the net until a player fails to return the ball in accordance with the rules.
Points are scored only by the serving side when the server or the server’s team wins the rally, or the opposing side commits a fault. The server continues to serve, alternating service courts, until the serving side loses the rally or commits a fault. Typically, the first side scoring 11 points and leading by at least a 2-point margin wins.
Grab a few friends and play a doubles match or one friend and play singles. Pickleball is so much fun either way!
Belmont Park and Recreation still has a few spots for its Junior Pickleball program for kids between 5 and 10 years old. Learn more here: https://www.turfgo.io/activities/1567
The ball is served diagonally across the net to the opponent’s receiving court using an approved motion.
The ball is struck back and forth across the net until a player fails to return the ball in accordance with the rules.
Points are scored only by the serving side when the server or the server’s team wins the rally, or the opposing side commits a fault. The server continues to serve, alternating service courts, until the serving side loses the rally or commits a fault. Typically, the first side scoring 11 points and leading by at least a 2-point margin wins.
Grab a few friends and play a doubles match or one friend and play singles. Pickleball is so much fun either way!
Belmont Park and Recreation still has a few spots for its Junior Pickleball program for kids between 5 and 10 years old. Learn more here: https://www.turfgo.io/activities/1567