Ball play for the youngest
Ready when: nothing, this is the first card.
What you are learning
For ages 3 to 5: moving, balancing and enjoying balls through play: a balloon kept up, rolling and stopping a soft ball, carrying balls, throwing them into a box. The aim is interest in balls, not handball skills yet.
Set up
Soft balls, a balloon, hoops, a box.
Weather: any weather indoors
Show it first for the one teaching
- Tap a balloon up with both hands and keep it in the air.
- Roll a soft ball to the child and stop theirs with two hands.
- Throw a soft ball into a box from a line.
Your part while they practise
Play along; never rush the child.
Step by step
- Keep a balloon up with the hands.
- Roll a soft ball to each other and stop it with two hands.
- Carry balls one at a time into a hoop.
- Throw soft balls into a box from a line.
How much: 4 games of 2 minutes 10 min a session 3 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Tidy-up race
Throw all the balls into the box before you count to 20.
Who plays: the child against your count; the family can join.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Scatter 8 soft balls round the room; put the box by a line
- On "go", count aloud to 20
- The child fetches balls one at a time and throws each into the box from the line
- Fair play
- Count faster for an older child.
- Points
- 1 point for each ball in the box by 20.
- Fouls
- That ball does not count
- Dropping it in from over the box instead of throwing from the line
- Carrying two balls at once
- Winning
- Beat your best score.
- 3 points for 1 star
- 5 points for 2 stars
- 8 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
A bigger, softer ball.
A farther line.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child loses interest
Change the game
Try the balloon or the rolling game. - they hold the ball tight
Roll it to me
Make it a game of giving.
Self-check
The child plays for 10 minutes without stopping, on 3 days.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains movement, balance, ball interest.
awiseathlete.com/sports/handball/handball-b1