--- title: "Trash-can basketball league" published: "2026-10-15" updated: "2026-10-15" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "30 min" cost: "$0" ages: "3 to 10" where: "Any stretch of floor about 10 feet long, with the hoop against a wall and nothing breakable behind it." topics: ["indoor"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=trash-can-basketball" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/trash-can-basketball/" --- # Trash-can basketball league > Kids like a game with a score and a way to get better. In 30 minutes you set up a hoop, tape the lines and play the first night of a league you can pick up any rainy evening. ## What you need - A laundry basket or an empty, clean trash can (have) - A soft foam ball, rolled socks, or a ball of scrap paper wrapped in tape (have) - Painter's tape for three distance lines (have / $5) - Paper and a marker for the season scorecard (have) ## Before you start - **Soft balls only.** Paper, socks or foam. No hard balls indoors near windows, lamps or the TV. - **Hoop against a wall,** away from stairs, glass and doorways where someone might walk through. - **Shooters stay behind the line.** Nobody stands near the basket while someone is shooting. ## Steps 1. **Make the ball and the hoop** (Together) Five minutes. Crumple a sheet of scrap paper into a ball and wrap it in tape so it holds, or roll a pair of socks. Set the basket against a wall. 2. **Tape three lines** (Together) Tape a line about three big steps from the basket, one at five steps and one at seven. Label them with tape: 1 point, 2 points, 3 points. Move them closer for little kids. 3. **Say the rule once** (Dad) "Make it, take a step back. Miss, and you stay where you are. Five shots a turn, then we switch." 4. **Play the first game** (Together) Take turns, five shots each, for about ten minutes. Count points out loud. You shoot too, from one line farther back than they do. 5. **Start the season scorecard** (Together) On paper, make a row for each player and a column for each night. Write tonight's points and each player's best line. Tape it to the fridge. 6. **Finish with one trick shot each** (Kid) Each player names a trick shot: eyes closed, off the wall, sitting down. One try each. It ends the night on a laugh, win or lose. ## If it stalls - If they miss over and over, move the basket closer or use a bigger one until they make a few in a row. - If losing to you upsets them, play on the same team against a target: 20 points together beats the basket. - If siblings fight about the score, the kid not shooting keeps score, and you swap every turn. - If it's late, skip the trick shots and just add tonight's points to the card. ## Variations - **Ages 3–5:** One line, very close, and a big basket. Every make is a cheer. No scorecard, just count the makes together. - **Ages 6–8:** All three lines and the season scorecard. Add a game of H-O-R-S-E with trick shots. - **Ages 9–10:** They run the league: write the schedule, keep the stats, and add a free-throw contest at the end of each week. ## Sources - **How much kids should move.** CDC says children 3 to 5 should be active throughout the day, and children 6 to 17 need 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous activity each day. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Make it fun and play with them.** The AAP suggests emphasizing fun, playing with your children, giving young kids easy access to balls and other active toys, and limiting screen time to free up time for activity. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Throwing is hard for little kids.** The AAP notes that toddlers and preschoolers are still working on skills like throwing and catching, and that fewer than one third of 2- to 5-year-olds are truly effective at them. (checked 2026-10-15)