by Neetu | Jun 2, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Movement skills/concepts
Volleying a rebound ball, judging speed and direction of rebound, and using body parts.
Set-up
- Lightweight balls.
- Gymnasium or hall, or an outside area that has a wall.
- Children, each with a ball, spread out, facing the wall approximately 2 metres (two of a child’s giant steps) away from it.
Activity
- bounce the ball and volley it against the wall, when the ball returns from the wall, let it bounce and then catch repeat this sequence five times – bounce, volley, bounce, catch
- practise the sequence without catching the ball (i.e. bounce, volley, bounce, volley) as many times as you can without making a mistake (i.e. without letting it bounce twice in a row or hit the wall)
- practise striking the ball with either hand – so, if the ball comes to your right side, strike it with your right hand; if the ball rebounds on your left side, use your left hand
- repeat all of the above activities, but this time with the bump (two forearms) pattern
Variations
Work with a partner: Practise underhand striking to the wall, alternating the volley and bounce (i.e. your partner will volley the ball to the wall and, once the ball has bounced, the next volley is yours).
by Neetu | Jun 1, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Movement skills/concepts
Striking upwards with the hands, space awareness (directions and levels), relationships (with objects), body awareness, and time and energy.
Set-up
- Soft, large balls, balloons, or lightweight objects; rope; net.
- Children, each with a ball, are spread out in a defined grass or hard surface area.
Activity
- very hard/softly, high/low
- from a seated/kneeling/lying position
- so that it goes above your head and as high as possible
- forward/backwards/to the side/in a circle
- alternating hard and soft
- with different body parts, e.g. head, knees, feet
- and relax/tense your fingers
- ‘giving’/without ‘giving’ with the ball
- so that it drops inside/outside your personal space
- from directly underneath it/off to one side
- over a line/rope/net
- as many times as you can in 30 seconds
- as few times as you can in 30 seconds
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
- Open space, preferably indoor
- Balloons (round type)
- Piece of string or ribbon 3-5 metres
- Scotch tape or masking tape
Instructions
- Blow up a balloon of the “round” type.
- Inflate to medium or medium-low pressure, so the balloon “floats” only a bit but not too much.
- Hang the string or ribbon horizontally about one metre above the floor between two chairs, or between bookshelves or countertops. This is your “net”.
- Using your fingertips, hit the balloon back and forth across the net with your child or children.
- If someone allows the balloon to touch the floor on their side, the person on the other side of the net scores a point.
- Play first person to 5 points, and then start again.
- Your hands are not allowed to cross over the top of the net.
- You are allowed to touch the balloon more than once on your side.
Variations
- If you have more than one child, or more than one adult, try playing a fun family tournament where family members take turns playing each other
Benefits
This activity develops hand-eye coordination, gross and fine motor control, and the ability to track moving objects in the air. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve striking or catching an object in the air (e.g., balls, frisbees, ribbons, sticks, batons).
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
- Open space indoor or outdoor
- Balloons (round type)
Instructions
- Blow up a few balloons of the “round” type.
- Inflate to medium pressure, so the balloon “floats” a bit but not too much.
- Toss one balloon into the air above your head.
- Show your child how to keep up the balloon using fingertips and palms.
- Challenge your child to take a turn keeping the balloon in the air.
- If the balloon touches the ground, switch turns.
Variations
- After a while practicing, try a competition where you count your touches out loud before the balloon hits the ground
- Try with two balloons at the same time, one balloon each – see who keeps up their balloon longest
- See if you can keep up two or three balloons at the same time
- Keep up the balloon with different body parts (knees only, feet only, elbows only, head only)
Benefits
This activity develops hand-eye coordination, gross motor control, and the ability to track moving objects in the air. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve striking or catching an object in the air (e.g., balls, frisbees, ribbons, sticks, batons).
