Movement skills/concepts

Exploring passing, throwing, catching and rolling, time and energy, and body awareness.

Set-up

• A wide variety of balls to throw and pass (small balls, large round balls, oval balls, foam balls, sea urchin balls).
• The children and balls are spread out in a defined hard or grass area.

Activity

Children select one or more balls. They begin to practice the following tasks with the ball, before changing to a different type of ball for the later tasks.

• in the air with one hand, two hands, the other hand, from hand to hand
• forwards, backward, to the side, at an angle
• as far/near as you can, moving your throwing arm(s) as fast as you can, twisting your body as fast as you can
• up high, down low, bouncing off the ground, at a target
• sitting down, kneeling, lying down
• along the ground, on a line, along the ground to a target/line, to stop between two lines or in the hoop
• overarm/underarm with one hand
• with two hands at chest level, making the ball bounce to the ground and catching it
• along the ground to a partner, bouncing high/low to a partner
• to a partner who is a long way away, to a partner who is very close
• using/without using your legs/trunk
• smoothly, using as little movement as possible
• using as much movement as possible or as jerkily as you can
• using a bounce-catch action, on the spot, while moving, turning around
• children enjoying themselves
• trying out different types of balls
• keeping eyes on the ball

Variations

Vary equipment: Complete the tasks with other objects like beanbags, frisbees, quoits, plastic containers, juggling balls, and scarves.