PAPITO sports

Learn it, play it, love it

Fourteen sports with rules in kid language, small-group versions you can play in a backyard, drills to build real skills, trivia for game night, and the big events to watch together. Every sport has a printable rules sheet.

Storybook illustration of a dad and his son and daughter laughing on a park bench after a game, holding a basketball and a soccer ball. The daughter has a birthmark on her cheek.
Storybook illustration of a family playing football together

🏈 Football

The rules, kid-sized

  • Two teams try to carry or throw the ball into the other team's end zone for a touchdown (6 points).
  • The offense gets 4 tries, called downs, to move the ball 10 yards. Make it and you get 4 more.
  • After a touchdown, kick through the goalposts for 1 point or run or pass it in for 2. A field goal is 3.
  • In flag football there's no tackling: pull the ball carrier's flag to end the play.
  • Forward passes must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage.

Play it small

  • Two-hand touch, 2 vs 2: one throws, one runs routes, two defend. Switch every 4 plays.
  • Ultimate football: no running with the ball, only passing. A dropped pass flips possession.
  • Punt and return: one punts, the others race to catch it and run it back past the cones.

Drills to learn the basics

Diamond catch: Make a diamond with your thumbs and pointer fingers. Catch 20 throws at chest height, then 20 above your head.

Route tree: Run 5 routes to cones (slant, out, curl, post, go) while a partner throws.

Flag pull: Partner jogs a straight line. Square up, hips low, grab the flag, not the shirt.

Level up

  • Hold the ball with your fingers on the laces and point your front shoulder at the target.
  • Watch the ball all the way into your hands before you turn to run.
  • Quarterbacks: count 'one Mississippi' and let it go to practice a quick release.
Storybook illustration of a family sports trivia night: a dad holds up a card while his daughter, wearing a teal hearing aid, raises her hand and her brother in glasses keeps score.

Football trivia night

Read the question out loud. Tap to reveal the answer.

Watch together

Schedules and where to watch change every season, so check the official source.

NFL.com: schedules and how to watch ↗Football documentaries and films on JustWatch ↗

More on PAPITO

Books, moves and skills on PAPITO that build the same muscles and the same love of the game.

Shadow Tag
Quick cuts and change of direction, like dodging a flag pullBackyard Relay
Sprint speed and handing off on the movePlan an outing on a budget
Price out going to a game together

Big events

Super Bowl LXI · Feb 14, 2027
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

PAPITO+ · Your family time concierge

Get them in the game.

Papito suggests sports and small-group games matched to each kid’s age and interests, and plans around the weather.

  • Sunday picksThree ideas every Sunday, matched to your free time, the weather and your kids.
  • Rainy-day heads-upThree indoor ideas the evening before rain hits your free time.
  • New activities firstComing soonNew guides before everyone else, plus a members-only set each month.
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