Best Small Nerf Football | Top 4 For Kids of All Ages

Nerf Sports footballs offer a much smaller, more fun alternative to traditional footballs, encouraging kids to get outside and get active with Nerf. However, younger players may have some issues handling the regular-sized footballs that Nerf is producing.

For these players, you’ll want to purchase miniaturized versions of their favorite footballs so that they can keep up with the big kids until those products are easier to handle for them.

Sometimes, adults like to join in on the fun too when there’s a Nerf battle in the works. For some, it may be even more appealing than other types of battle like paintball or airsoft.

With that in mind, most adults are going to want to have a powerful product on their side that they can rely on to lead them to victory. Where are you going to find such a weapon?

In this guide, we’re going to figure out which of the available products could function as the best Nerf guns for adults. Let’s dive in.

My Top Choice: For Best Value, Durability, & Fun!

Our Top Pick
NERF N-Sports Turbo Jr. Football
9.7
  • Made using safe materials
  • Turbo junior football is durable but soft for tough play
  • Football's design delivers awesome performance
  • Turbo jr. football is durable but soft for tough play
  • Football's design delivers awesome performance
  • Play anytime and anywhere
Cheapest Option
Nerf Sports Pocket Aero Flyer
9.5
  • Pocket-sized foam football
  • Tail helps it fly farther when thrown
  • Practice passing or start a game
  • Includes 1 foam ball
  • Get in the game with the Nerf Sports Pocket Vortex Aero Howler ball. It howls as it flies through the air letting everyone know the ball is on the way.
  • The long-distance tail is designed for far-flinging shots so take aim and go long.
  • The foam ball is sized for portability making it easy to drop it in a backpack and take it along to start up a game almost anywhere and anytime 
Best Value
NERF Sports Vortex Aero Howler Toy
9.1
  • Go long with the aero howler football
  • Hand grip lets you grip tight
  • Ball howls as it flies
  • Long-distance tail sends the ball a long way
  • Includes 1 foam football

The 4 Best Small Nerf Football

The 4 Best Small Nerf Football: Let’s take a look at what we consider to be the best small Nerf football and provide you with a few other alternatives to help your child build a collection of their favorite Nerf toys.

Let’s take a look at what we consider to be the best small Nerf football and provide you with a few other alternatives to help your child build a collection of their favorite Nerf toys.

1: The Nerf Sports Pocket Vortex Aero Howler

NERF Sports Pocket Vortex Aero Howler

If you’ve staying up-to-date with our Nerf football reviews, you’ve likely seen the Nerf Sports Vortex Aero Howler a few times. But while this ball is an excellent choice, they also offer an alternative for younger children. Enter the Nerf Sports Pocket Vortex Aero Howler.

The Nerf Sports Pocket Vortex Aero Howler is a miniature version of the original football, offering all of the same favorite features without compromising quality.

You might like: Nerf Sports Vortex Howler Review

Arguably the best feature of this ball is the small notch in the side of the ball, which produces a “howling” sound when it’s thrown hard enough. This can be exciting for younger children and make it easier for them to find the ball when it’s traveling through the air.

Besides this feature, the Nerf Sports Pocket Vortex Aero Howler is well-built. Rather than being a full-sized football, the front end of this ball is a miniature football that is easier to grip and throw for smaller hands.

The back of the ball features a tail that is designed to help the ball fly more efficiently and improve distance and accuracy.

Although younger players may not be able to take advantage of this, older players can make great use of it when they’re playing with little relatives.

Along with the fact that this ball is smaller than the original, it’s also quite affordable, making it perfect for those on a budget. 

Sale
NERF Vortex Mini Aero Howler Foam Football - NERF Soft Mini Vortex Football for Long-Distance Throws - Perfect for Pool + Beach Football - Kids Aero Howler Whistle Vortex Foam Ball
  • NERF VORTEX: The NERF Vortex Aero Howler Foam Football is built for maximum distance passes to take any catch or football game to the next level!
  • MINI SIZE: This mini vortex is pocket-sized and easy to take on the go so even the youngest players with small hands can get in on the fun wherever the game takes them!
  • HEAR THE DIFFERENCE: Designed with built-in air holes that give this ball a distinctive, roaring whistle as it flies through the air so you can see and hear the difference
  • MAXIMUM FLIGHT: This Vortex football is designed with an aero-dynamic, 3-finned tail to help throw tight spirals that allow the ball soar through the air like no other toy football
  • INDOOR + OUTDOOR: The soft NERF foam construction makes this ball easy to use indoors and outdoors so you can bring it to the beach, the pool or the backyard for NERF football fun!

2. The Nerf Sports Pocket Aero Flyer

Hasbro Nerf Sports Pocket Aero Flyer (Orange)

The howling feature on the above recommendation is great when it can be utilized. If only smaller players are playing, however, the howling feature goes unused, which can be disappointing if your children were counting on hearing this during gameplay.

Instead, you can turn to the Nerf Sports Pocket Aero Flyer for your basic football game.

The Nerf Sports Pocket Aero Flyer is a carbon copy of the Nerf Sports Pocket Vortex Aero Howler with the exception that it doesn’t have the notch on the side to make the noise.

No matter what color you’re looking for, you can get your hands on Nerf Sports Pocket Aero Flyer for very little money and still have the same amount of fun as you would with the previous mention.

Just make sure that you’re being careful when you store these products as bent tails or ruined bodies can impact the performance of the ball. 

Nerf Sports Pocket Aero Flyer (Orange)
  • Pocket-sized foam football
  • Tail helps it fly farther when thrown
  • Practice passing or start a game
  • Includes 1 foam ball

3. The Nerf N-Sports Turbo Jr. Football

NERF N-Sports Turbo Jr. Football

If you’re looking for something basic yet inexpensive, you’ll want to go with the Nerf-N-Sports Turbo Jr. Football. The Nerf N-Sports Turbo Jr. Football is a small football made entirely out of foam designed specifically for younger Nerf enthusiasts.

The body can perform as anticipated but is much softer so that no one gets hurt when the ball is thrown. The ball itself is fairly durable (just avoid rough areas or dogs) and will hold up to offer plenty of fun for your children.

Best of all, this is one of the lowest-priced Nerf Sports balls out there. If something happens to the one you have, you can easily get another one without breaking the bank.

The only thing to remember with all-foam balls is that they can be more difficult to grip and may retain water more dramatically than other footballs. 

NERF Turbo Jr. Kids Foam Football - Classic Foam Football for Kids - Indoor + Outdoor Soft Foam Ball - Kids Mini Soft Foam Ball - NERF Toy Football for Kids - Easy Throw + Catch Youth Football
  • NERF FOAM: This youth mini football is made with soft NERF foam, which makes it perfect for kids to throw and catch with ease
  • MINI SIZE: Designed for kids, this 9" inch junior size foam football is perfect for small hands to grip
  • INDOOR + OUTDOOR: The soft but durable foam construction makes it safe for kids to use indoors while still being rugged enough for backyard football games
  • PERFECT FIRST FOOTBALL: This kids football is the perfect toy for young sports fans who are looking to learn the basics of football
  • FUN FOR ALL PLAYERS: This football is perfect to bring to the beach, cookouts, tailgates and more for players to get in the game and toss the football around!

4. The Nerf Pro Shop Mini Sports Pack

Nerf Pro Shop Mini Sports Pack

If you have much younger players who you’re trying to introduce sports to, you may want to opt for the Nerf Pro Shop Mini Sports Pack instead. The Nerf Pro Shop Mini Sports Pack comes with three balls in one package instead of just one.

The football in this package looks very similar to a traditional football and is only five inches in length, which can be easily handled by very small hands. Although it may not offer the best performance, it’s a great introductory toy for brand new Nerf enthusiasts.

Along with the football, the Nerf Pro Shop Mini Sports Pack comes with a foam soccer ball that they can kick around and a basketball. For the basketball, you’ll likely want to purchase a Nerf sports basketball hoop to get the most use out of it.

However, you can certainly use it as you would a regular ball.

It’s important to note that there are some other Nerf Pro Shop football products out there that have since been discontinued as more models have been released.

While these aren’t major contenders with today’s modern designs, it can be exciting to have them for their retro style or for collectible value. That being said, older sports toys can be much harder to get your hands on and may cost a lot more to purchase.

If you’re looking to get your kids something a bit more exciting from older lines, keep this in mind.

NERF Mini Foam Sports Ball Set - Kids Youth Foam Football, Mini Soccer Ball +Mini Basketball Set Soft Foam Sports Set for Kids - All Sport Kids Indoor + Outdoor Toy Sports Ball Pack - Multicolor
  • ALL SPORT SET: This mini foam sports ball set is the perfect gift for any young sports fan and has everything they need for hours of endless sports fun!
  • THREE SPORT PACK: This set comes complete with (3) NERF sports balls: (1) mini football, (1) mini soccer ball, and (1) mini basketball
  • KID SAFE: These mini foam balls are perfect for young sports players to throw and catch with ease
  • PLAY INDOORS AND OUT: The soft foam construction makes it easy to bring the sports fun indoors on rainy days
  • DURABLE CONSTRUCTION: Made with NERF's durable soft foam so you can pass, kick, and shoot rain or shine, season after season

Best Small Nerf Football: There Are Plenty of Footballs to Make Sure Everyone in the Family Has Fun

There are a ton of products out there for older Nerf players. But if you want to make sure that your younger children aren’t excluded from the fun, you will likely need to get a smaller ball that they can play with.

If you’re ready to introduce them to Nerf Sports products, use the guide above to find the perfect fit for their needs!

Jeremy A
Dart Dudes

About the Author

Jeremy is the founder of Dart Dudes, the leading resource for parents looking to pick up a Nerf toy for a child. He grew up with his four brothers and two sisters where there was always a Nerf war taking place.

With a focus on safety, Jeremy has helped thousands of parents help chose the right Nerf toy for their kids or grandkids. He lives in California with his wife and family. Learn more about me. - You can email me jeremy@dartdudes.com