Twister

by Neetu | Jun 8, 2020 | Sports

Movement skills/concepts

Receiving a pass and kicking along the ground under control while moving.

Set-up

• A variety of large balls.
• Each group of three spreads out in a line on level grass or hard area; the end player (Player 1) has a ball.

Activity

Player 1 passes to Player 3 (in the center) who controls the ball and returns it. Player 1 passes to Player 2, while Player 3 turns to receive the ball from Player 2 and returns it. After a given number of passes, change the center player.

Can you see …?

• controlling before passing
• contacting with the inside of the foot
• swinging from the hip
• following through in the direction of the ball

You could ask …

How do you control the ball in the middle when you return it? Which part of your foot do you strike the ball with?

How do you control the ball along the ground?

Variations

Provide one ball per player: Players 1 and 3 exchange balls, then Player 3 turns and exchanges with Player 2.

Lotto

by Neetu | Jun 8, 2020 | Sports

Movement skills/concepts

Dribbling with the feet, moving at different speeds and in different directions.

Set-up

• Large balls.
• Children, each with a ball, are freely spaced in a defined grass or hard area.

Activity

The players dribble freely. When the leader:

• calls a number, they form groups of that number and dribble in a small circle
• tells them to spread out, they dribble freely until another number is called

Can you see …?

• using all parts of the feet
• keeping the ball close
• seeing the ball, seeing others

You could ask …

How well are you controlling the ball? What can you do to improve or to challenge yourself?

Variations

Change pattern: Dribble in a circle or a square, reverse, and go the other way or follow the leader.

Change speed: Dribble while walking, jogging, running.

Vary equipment and skills: Hand dribble, or hockey dribble with a stick and small ball.

What is Punting?

by Neetu | Jun 8, 2020 | Sports

Movement skills/concepts

Dropping a ball to punt, kicking a ball up in the air, space awareness (levels and body parts), and body awareness.

Set-up

• Balloons, lightweight kicking balls, goals (rope or elastic suspended between two uprights/chairs).
• Wall or netting fence around the perimeter of grass or hard court area. Children work in pairs, sitting, and then standing.

Activity: Sitting

Children in pairs discuss the following questions:

• What is punting?
• Which games/sports use punting skills?
• What words would you use to describe what a punt is?
• Which sportspeople do you know who are good at punting?
• Why do you think they are good at punting? What have you seen them do?
• What do they do with their legs, feet, body?

Standing up, pretending

Let’s pretend we are punting a ball:

• How high did it go? Did it go over a goal?
• What did we do with our arms, legs, feet?

Standing up, having a go

Let’s have a go at punting: stand up, with a ball, spread out in the playing area and face a wall, netting fence or partner.

Can you …?

• holding the ball in two hands, drop it to the ground in front of you, then, after the first bounce, contact the ball with your shoelaces (top of shoe), kicking it to the wall or your partner
• try kicking with your left and right feet to find out which foot you prefer to kick with
• with your preferred kicking foot, drop the ball in front of you and make contact with it before it touches the ground. Practice this a few times. Try to kick it towards the wall or your partner – you are now punting!
• punt over a low height? Stand three giant steps behind the goal (this is your kicking line) and punt the ball so that it travels over the rope. Count how many times you have a go and how many times you are successful. Using our maths brain, what do we call this?
• take a series of quick steps up to the kicking line and punt over the goal

Can you see …?

• holding the ball in two hands
• guiding the ball onto the foot
• swinging from the hip
• contacting the ball with the shoelaces
• keeping head down
• following through
• using both left and right feet to kick the ball

You could ask …

What did you like about punting? What did you find hard about punting?

Variations

Explore space: Can you punt the ball so that it comes back to you, goes behind you, goes high/low/along the ground?

Kicking at a Target

by Neetu | Jun 8, 2020 | Sports

Movement skills/concepts

Kicking a ball into the air, judging speed and direction.

Set-up

• A variety of balls for kicking, hoops, cones, rope for kicking line.
• Children in groups of five–six stand behind the kicking line, with a ball each and hoops spread out in a target area in front of them.

Activity

The object of the game is to kick the ball so that it goes over the line and lands in one of the hoops in the target area. Each group gets a point for each time the ball lands in a hoop on the full. Balls must be kicked in the air. Children retrieve their ball when everyone has kicked the ball.

Keep practicing until the group gets 10 points.

Can you see …?

• striking the ball underneath its center
• the run-up, planting the non-kicking foot beside the ball
• following through with the kicking foot, leg moving upwards

You could ask …

Did anyone kick the ball away from the target area? What do you think happened?

Who got two to three kicks into the target? Why do you think your kicks were successful?

How will you retrieve the balls safely?

Variations

Vary scoring: Set a class or group total to aim for.

Have a time trial: How many points can you and/or your group score in 1 minute?