Sports are an incredible way for children to get exercise, bond with other kids, become more driven and competitive, and generally enjoy life more. However, as a careful parent, you might be extremely hesitant to allow your child into the world of sports because many of them seem so rough and dangerous.

Take football for instance. A great game, yes, but also with a potential to be quite harmful at times. Or maybe your child has already tried some of these rougher sports and simply doesn’t mesh well with them. Whatever the case, we’ve got you covered!

Here are eight different non contact sports for kids that will be safe to play during the summer:

Non-Contact Sport #1: Swimming

One of the most common non contact sports for kids is swimming. It is pretty much the perfect non-contact sport. Whether your child is an amazing swimmer or they don’t know the first thing about water, they can learn, grow, and compete in this great sport.

If your child is a novice swimmer, they can develop their skills at sports camps and become more familiar with the swimming pool.

Non-Contact Sport #2: Tennis

Instead of body slams to get the ball, the ball can be served to you instead. And instead of slapping the ball with your arms or kicking it with your feet, you can let the tennis racquet take–and return–all the hits.

Tennis is one of the best sports for girls because it doesn’t use ‘non-contact’ as an excuse for ‘no exercise’. Tennis is quite a physically intense sport, what with all that jumping, running, and so on that you have to engage in. And it might be perfect for your child!

Non-Contact Sport #3: Golf

Do you view golf as something for older people? Well, you don’t have to anymore, especially if you’re looking for a great non-contact sport for your child. Golf can be an awesome sport for your kid to engage in, especially if they don’t enjoy strenuous physical exercise. They’ll still definitely get exercise on the golf course, but it can be a gentler kind that doesn’t wear them out so quickly.

Whether your child ends up golfing competitively or more for fun, this is a non-contact sport that both you and your child can enjoy together.

Non-Contact Sport #4: Running

Running is one of the best non-contact sports. It’s just you and the track–and one, two, or several other runners! But the good news is that everyone’s expected to stay in their track, so you don’t have to worry about body slams and cracked heads (unless there’s a mishap, of course). Running is a competitive sport that can really test your child’s body as they race toward the finish line.

It’s important to make sure that they do the necessary stretches and take all the training that they can get. Racing without properly building up to the moment could potentially have bad effects on your child’s body. But if you take it slow and make sure that their endurance and strength isn’t getting hastily sacrificed for more and more speed, running could be a great sport for your child.

Non-Contact Sport #5: Curling

We wouldn’t be fully Canadian if we didn’t mention curling! This non-contact sport isn’t the best known, perhaps, but it’s part of our national heritage and your child may just end up loving it. At least check it out to see if curling might be exactly what your kid is looking for.

Non-Contact Sport #6: Gymnastics

If your child has shown a knack for flexibility–or even if they haven’t–gymnastics is an awesome non-contact sport that will give your child plenty of exercise and overall enjoyment as they learn the different aspects of this challenging, really cool sport. There are certainly gymnastics competitions that your child could train for and enter, so if you’re looking for that competitive edge in non-contact sports, gymnastics definitely has that!

Non-Contact Sport #7: Archery

Does your child adore Katniss of Hunger Games fame? Or maybe they’re really into all things Robin Hood at the moment. Even if they don’t have a favorite fictional bowperson, archery can still really capture a child’s interest, and it may be worth looking into and seeing if your kid is interested. Despite the fact that bows and arrows combined have made deadly weapons, archery is quite harmless, as long as safety guidelines are followed.

Non-Contact Sport #8: Bowling

This is another sport that can be more of a private, family (or individual thing), but if you’d like your child to get involved in some kind of a more organized team, you can definitely search online and see if there are any junior bowling teams in your area that your child could join.

Bowling is a fun non-contact sport that requires some strength, aiming skills, and hand-eye coordination. Your child may love the rush of excitement that comes from knocking down all the pins in one go. Definitely something to check out as you search for the perfect non-contact sport for your kid!