Here are 9 adorable times Obama embraced his inner child

On Wednesday, former President Obama surprised a group of local students attending the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy's after-school program in Washington, DC.

While visiting, he shared some encouraging words and even showed off some softball and football skills.

“You're going to do something important,” he told the kids. “You're going to make a real difference, and we're going to be proud of you.”

Here are nine other times Obama embraced his inner child.

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Throughout his presidency and now in his retirement, Barack Obama has spent a lot of time inspiring young people — and seemingly having fun while doing so.

He has been photographed visiting classrooms, interacting with kids on Halloween, and even participating in a game or two on the sports field.

On Wednesday, former President Obama surprised a group of local students attending the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy's after-school program in Washington, DC. While visiting, he shared some encouraging words and even showed off some softball and football skills.

“If you work hard and listen to your coaches...I'm going be on the lookout for you,” Obama told the kids, according to The Washington Post. “You're going to do something important. You're going to make a real difference, and we're going to be proud of you.”

Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1131560775632457728？ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Yesterday, President @BarackObama visited #NatsAcademy to play games with our students & shop the farmer's market. The Academy uses baseball & after-school enrichment to foster character development, academic achievement, and improved health among underserved youth in D.C. pic.twitter.com/vGPanAiYFW

Here are nine memorable pictures of Obama embracing his inner child.