Fun Ways to Reward Your Child After a Sports Season

















The soccer/basketball/football/baseball season is finally over. Your little lacrosse star rocked it out on the field this year. Before you say goodbye to field hockey and move on to the next sport, take some time to reward your child for a job well-done with these seven season finale activities for kids of all ages.

1. Professional sporting event

Did your child just finish playing tee-ball? Head out to a minor or major league game to celebrate. No matter where you live, you can typically purchase inexpensive tickets for mid-week, daytime games. Your son or daughter will love watching the pros play and imagining themselves out on the field.

2. Season-specific team party

Get together with the rest of the team to celebrate the end of a successful season. Remember, fun is the name of the game, especially for young kids. A pool party is perfect for the summer months, while a sledding excursion may be fun when there's snow on the ground.

3. Award ceremony

While some leagues award trophies to winning teams and some simple reward participation, make it a point to acknowledge achievements your children have made in their sport of choice. Talk to coaches and other parents and make it a group effort. In our first basketball season one of my daughters was the MVP while the other was the best rebounder. They loved having their individual strengths recognized.

4. Sports scrapbook & slideshow

Put together a scrapbook of the sports season for your child and the team's coaches. Include pictures, notes and autographs, newspaper clippings, and other zany highlights of the season. Have a get-together with teammates where everyone can sign their scrapbooks and compare notes on the season. If you're tech savvy, put together a slideshow of pictures the kids can watch, too.

5. Ice cream treats

Nothing motivates my kids like ice cream. The minute their last game is over they rush to the car so that we can head to their favorite ice cream shop. The sky's the limit when it comes to toppings and flavors as we celebrate the end of a great season and reward their hard work.

6. Movie night

A night out with the kids is a great way to celebrate the end of the sports season. Get your snacks ready and head to the movies! Let the kids pick and if they're old enough, let them sit by themselves in the theater while you watch from a reasonable distance so you don't embarrass them. Let them bring a teammate along.

7. Sleepover

A sleepover with a teammate or two is the perfect ending to a spectacular season. Order pizza, watch a movie, and let the kids stay up late playing video games or listening to music. They'll have a blast (and as an added bonus, you don't have to do it again until the end of the next season).

Content by Kelly Herdrich .