Ball Skills
Years 1–2 | 6 Lessons
Multi Skills Sessions
These ball skills sessions focus on developing rolling, throwing, catching, kicking, dribbling and evading skills within activities and games using different types of balls and equipment. Lessons are progressive and suitable for indoor or outdoor delivery.
Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Rolling A Ball
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To develop control and accuracy when rolling a ball towards a target.
Success Criteria:
- I can roll the ball towards a target in a straight line.
- I can use a ready position to receive the ball.
- I can stop the ball with soft hands and bent knees.
Key Words:
- Roll
- Aim
- Control
Equipment:
- Cones
- Bibs
- Small balls (tennis)
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Toilet Tag
Give a bib to 4-5 children who are going to be the taggers. The rest of the class spread out in the space. If tagged, the children must stand still, with knees slightly bent and arm out to the side. To return to the game, someone must ‘flush the toilet’ by gently pushing down your arm.
(ensure that the children to slap or push the arm too hard)
Skill Development
Rolling & Receiving Part 1
Split the class into pairs and give each pair 1 ball and 2 cones. Get them to create a gate using the two cones (2m wide) and stand 3-4m either side of the gate. Their job is to roll the ball through the gate to one another using the rolling technique
Progressions:
>Stand further apart from the gate.
>Narrow gates
Rolling & Receiving Part 2
Now create lots of small gates around the area and get the children to stay in their pairs. This time, they are going to move around the area, trying to roll the ball through the gate, to their partner waiting on the other side of the gate. The aim is to try to roll the ball through as many gates as possible in the time given.
Progression:
>Get the groups to be competitive against themselves by trying to beat their previous score
>The pairs cannot go through the same coloured gate twice in a row e.g. you cannot go yellow, yellow, but you can do yellow, red, yellow.
>Get the children to use their weak hand to roll or stand further apart from the gate.
Game – Rolling for Treasure
Split the class into even teams of around 5 per team. They are to stand one behind the other in their group and in front of them, spread out a lot of cones.
The aim of the game is for the children in their groups to roll their ball and aim to hit one of the cones. If they hit the cone, they can collect that cone and bring it back to their team, along with their ball.
The game finishes when all cones have been collected. The team with the highest number of cones are the winners.
Teaching Points:
- Rolling technique:
>Child holds ball with two hands, fingers spread around the ball. Start with knees bent and one foot slightly forward.
>Swing arms gently backwards, then forwards, releasing the ball low to the floor. Ball should travel in a straight line towards partner. - We want to see the children using the correct technique throughout the session, looking to use their spare hand to aim towards their target.
- We want the children to think about both their power and aim when rolling the ball. If we add too much power, we may lose aim. At the same time, if we don’t add enough power, the ball may not reach the target, so we need a balance between both.
Key Questions:
- Can someone show the rolling technique?
- What two things do we need to think about when rolling the ball? (power and aim)
- How can we improve our aim?
National curriculum links:
- Master basic movements including running, as well as developing agility and balance, and begin to apply these in activities
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing confidence in working with new equipment and trying new skills
Lesson 2: Balance Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To be able to balance on different body parts with control, To be able to use balance when using equipment.
Success Criteria:
- I can show good balance without wobbling or falling
- I am able to balance on a range of body parts in a range of activities, using equipment whilst maintaining balancing.
Key Words:
- Balance
- Control
Equipment:
- Cones
- Bibs
- Benches
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Balance Tag
Choose 2 or 3 taggers to be on. They must run around the room and tag as many people as they can. If you get tagged, you must complete a balance (standing on one foot) until you are set free. To be set free someone must stand in front of you and mirror your balance for 2 seconds.
Recap with the children the learning from last week. Finding a space, changing directions (agility) etc…
Progression:
>Change the balance to challenge the children further. For example, change the balance so the children can balance on one hand, one foot or hands and feet. Explain to the children, ways that they can help hold their balance (stabilise with their arms etc…)
Skill Development
Creative work on mats
Place mats scattered around the room so the children can work in groups of 3 or 4.
Have the children come up with as many different forms of balance as they can. Allow them to be creative and come up with their own. If children are struggling, demonstrate an example of a balance (balance on your tummy, knees etc…) and let them create their own from there.
Night at the Museum-
Have the children move around in different ways (allow them to be creative with their movements). When the coach shouts “Night at the Museum” the children must return to their mats like a museum artefact and hold a balance without wobbling or falling. The coach will then look around to see if anyone is moving. If the children wobble or fall you must do 5-star jumps.
Progressions:
>When the coach is looking around at the different groups doing their balances, every time the coach looks elsewhere the children must change their balance into something different before the coach looks back. This will keep the children thinking about creativity and control as they must be able to hold the balance (remaining in control) otherwise they will wobble and must do star jumps.
Game – Bench Work
Have the children remain in their groups from the previous games. Place a bench so that the children can move across the bench safely and remaining balanced with control. The children will go 1 at a time to balance across the bench and step off the other side.
Explain to the children the ways that they can help increase their balance (arms out, head up, slow movements etc…)
Progressions:
>Place the beanbags from earlier onto the heads of the children and have them try and balance across the bench while balancing the beanbag on their head. This will make the children keep their head up and focus on slow movements.
Teaching Points:
- When the children are balancing, we want to see them use their arms as stabilisers. They will do this by placing the arms outstretched at either side. This will allow them to maintain balance as they are moving.
- When balancing on the spot, get the children to again, if they can, use their arms for balance by placing them out. If they are using their arms as part of the balance, we want the children to maintain control of the balance. If they feel they are moving too much during the balance, this may be because the balance is a little too difficult. We want to see good control when balancing, no matter the difficulty of the balance.
- When moving and balancing, we want the children to take their time. When moving across the bench, moving slowly and maintaining their shape will be key. If they are handed a bean bag, moving slowly and keeping their head up and still, focusing on looking forward, will allow them to maintain their balance and keep the bean bag on their head.
Key Questions:
- What do we mean by the term balance?
- What parts of our bodies can we balance on?
- Can we demonstrate a balance we have done today?
- How can we keep balanced when walking across a bench, especially if we have a bean bag on our head?
National curriculum links:
- Master basic movements including running and jumping, developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and applying those skills in activities.
Social/environmental skills:
- Showing patience in their work
- Developing resilience in trying to improve their work
- Developing listening skills by following instructions
Lesson 3: Jumping Session
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To be able to perform skills with safety
- To be able to jump with control and good technique
Success Criteria:
- I can jump using arms and legs to create height
- I can land soft and safely with knees bent and using arms as a balance.
Key Words:
- Jumping
- Soft landing
- Safely
Equipment:
- Hoops
- Cones
- Bibs
- Benches
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Kangaroo Tag
Choose 2 taggers and the rest are running away. If you get tagged, you are turned into a Kangaroo, and you must jump around the room. To get free and start running again someone must jump with you 5 times.
Again, continuously recapping looking for space and using the space available. Make sure the children are using their arms to be able to bounce from jump-to-jump springing forwards. Explain the use of momentum and having our bodies all flowing in 1 direction.
Skill Development
Explain to the children that there are different ways that you can jump, and your landing will be different based on the type of jump you are doing.
>Jumping Far – Long Jump
>Jumping Up – High Jump
>Jumping Down – Getting off Equipment (benches, box tops etc…)
Bounce Jumping –
Get the children into groups of 2 or 3 and give each team a mat to work on. Taking it in turns the children are going to jump onto the mat and jump off the mat as quickly as they can. The coach will time 30 seconds and the rest of the group will count how many times they jump in that time. Children with the greatest number of jumps win.
Explain to the children the importance of using your arms and bending your knees while jumping to spring back in a different direction. Using Momentum is key to all jumping.
Rainbow rock, paper scissors (jumping long)
If your group is large, you can create more than one area with the hoops. You are going to place hoops, one after the other, to create a rainbow shape. Split the class into 2 groups per game. They will start at either end of the rainbow, one behind the other.
When go is called, the player at the front of each group, jumps through the hoops, until the reach the player from the opposition team. They then complete a game of rock paper scissors, with the winner continuing around the rainbow, the loser joining the back of their own queue. The next person in the losing team’s group will immediately follow and jump through the hoops until again they reach the opponent.
A team is awarded a point when their player jumps through and reaches the final hoop on the other side of the rainbow.
Game – Bench Jumps
Split the class into groups of 5-6 per group. Line them up behind a bench, one behind the other, with a mat placed at the end.
One at a time, a player will walk across the bench, maintaining their balance (like last week’s session). When they reach the end of the bench they will jump off, landing safely on the mat.
Progressions:
>Introduce High Jumping – the children will now jump 1 at a time off the bench and they must jump as high as possible before landing on the mat. The children will aim to clap as many times as possible before they land. The remaining children in the group will count how many claps they get before they land. If the children do not land on 2 feet, without bent legs or they fall over their score will be 0.
Teaching Points:
- When jumping, it is important that the children use the correct technique. We want to see bent knees, with arms swinging backwards and forwards, before jumping and landing safely.
- To land safely, we again want to land with bent knees, on two feet, with our arms outstretched in front of us, to maintain our balance as we land.
- We want to see the children use this technique throughout the session. We should not see anyone landing on their knees or placing their hands on the floor as they jump off the bench and land on the mat.
Key Questions:
- How can we land safely when jumping from a height?
- What part of the body should we land on when jumping?
- How can we maintain our balance when landing a jump?
National curriculum links:
- Master basic movements including running and jumping, developing agility, balance and coordination, and applying those skills in activities.
Social/environmental skills:
- Showing bravery by landing from a height
- Showing resilience in their work by looking to improve
- Showing good sportsmanship when playing games.
Lesson 4: Rolling & Throwing (Underarm)
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To be able to throw the ball with good accuracy, control and technique.
Success Criteria:
- I can show good technique in my throws
- I can use good power and aim to throw the ball towards a target.
Key Words:
- Underarm Throw
- Accuracy
Equipment:
- Small/medium sized balls
- Cones
- Bibs
- Bean bags
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Germs & Medicine
Choose 3 taggers to be germs and the same number of releasers to be medicine. The medicines will start with a ball. If a player is tagged by a germ, they stand in a star shape. To come back into the game, the medicine must roll the ball in between the tagged player’s legs.
Swap roles throughout the game.
Skill Development
Rolling / Bowling-
Demonstrate the children the first type of underarm throw they will be doing in the form of rolling or bowling.
Split the group teams of 4-5 and give each team a ball. The children will take it in turns to bowl the ball at a gate (2 cones placed 2m apart) placed on the opposite side of the hall. If they throw the ball through the gates, they get a point for their team. Then they will collect the ball and give the next person a try. Team with the most points after a certain time frame wins.
Progressions:
>Give each team a bean bag and replace the ball on the cone with a hula hoop. Have the children underarm throw the bean bag into the hula hoop to score points.
Bean bag toss
Keep the class in the same groups for this activity. Give each team 4 bean bags and place 4 hula hoops at varying distances. The children have to throw the bean bags into the hoops and collect as many points as possible.
The closest hula hoop is 1 point
>Next closest is 2 points
>Next closest is 3 points
>Hula hoop at the furthest distance is 4 points
They can throw the bean bags at any hula hoops, but are only awarded points for bean bags that land and stay in the hula hoops. Count the points up after each turn.
Game – Messy Bedrooms
Split the class into 2 teams and set up a dodgeball court. Scatter small balls and bean bags on both sides of the court. Have 1 team on side of the hall and 1 team on the other. The objective of the game is to throw as many balls onto the opposition’s half of the hall as possible. At the end of the game count how many balls are on your side. Team with the least number of balls wins!
Each game lasts around 2-3 minutes
Teaching Points:
- Children should be rolling and throwing the ball using the underarm technique. Stand side on with the opposite foot to the hand holding the equipment in front. The ball/bean bag should start by your side. You are going to swing backwards and then forwards, releasing the equipment out towards the target.
- The spare arm should be out in front to help with aim. Point our front foot toes towards the target to also help with aim.
- We want the children to focus on control and technique. Ensure they are using the correct technique when throwing the equipment, and that they are concentrating on the power and aim of their throw. The faster and harder they swing, the more power they will add to their throw. So, depending on where they equipment lands, should determine whether they need to swing faster to gain more power, or swing slower and softer to take power off.
Key Questions:
- Can anyone demonstrate the underarm technique?
- How can we add and take away power when throwing?
- How can we improve our aim when throwing?
National curriculum links:
- Master basic movements including throwing and running, developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and applying those skills in activities.
- Participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending.
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Showing resilience in trying to improve
- Showing good sportsmanship when playing games.
Lesson 5: Throwing & Catching
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objective:
- To be able to make good decisions in the session
- To be able to perform skills with good technique and control
Success Criteria:
- I can throw using the overarm technique.
- I understand when to use the underarm and overarm throw.
- I can use good technique when catching, using the bird’s nest and W shape catch, and know when to use both.
Key Words:
- Overarm Throw
- Birds nest
- W shape
Equipment:
- Medium/small sized balls
- Cones
- Bibs
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Caterpillar Game
Split the class into teams of 5 or 6. Have the children form a line one behind the other and give each team a ball. The children must pass the ball to the next person until the ball reaches the player at the back. When it does, they then run to the front of the queue and repeat, forcing the queue to move forward. The first team to reach the finish line wins.
Skill Development
Underarm/Overarm throw practice
Split the class into pairs and give them a ball between 2. Standing around 4-5m apart, the children will practice throwing the ball both underarm and overarm to their partner, who will look to catch the ball. We want the children to complete 10 passes of the underarm throw and 10 passes of the overarm throw.
Progressions:
>When they complete 10 of each type of pass, get the pair to take a step back each and try to complete again. If the ball is dropped, they must start again
Frustration-
Keeping the class in the same teams as the previous game. Have a hula hoop or cone at one side of the room that all teammates must line up behind. Then place another hula hoop at the other side of the room directly opposite around 8m away.
To start the game, the children must throw the ball and it must bounce in the hoop for them to cross to the other side. Once across, the children must stand in the hoop and be ready to catch the ball. The remaining children will take it in turns to throw the ball, using any type of throw they would like and the other children opposite must try and catch the ball. If they catch the ball the thrower can cross and if they drop the ball, then the thrower goes to the back of the line. First team to have all their team inside the hoop wins!
Make sure the children are ready to receive the ball with a good “ready position” (hands out in front of them and their knees slightly bent). Explain to the children if the throw is up high to use the “W” shape to catch the ball and if the ball is low to use “birds nest”.
Progression:
>Have the children only use the overarm throw. At this point you can make the game harder or easier by moving the target hooper closer or further away depending on ability.
Game – Dodgeball
Split the class in to 3 or 4 teams of equal ability. Create a dodgeball court with a centre line. The aim of the game is to strike all of the opposition’s team. If you are out, stand to the side of the court to wait to get back in. The rules are:
>If you are struck anywhere from the neck down you are out
>If the ball bounces and hits you, you are out
>If you catch the ball, the player who thew the ball is out.
>If you catch the ball, all of your team returns to the game
>If you attempt to catch and drop the ball, that counts as you being struck and you are out
>You cannot step over the middle line.
Play the games for 3-4 minutes. If a winner has not been decided, the team with the most players still in are the winners.
Teaching Points:
- For the overarm throw technique, we want to see the children standing side on, with the opposite foot to the hand holding the ball in front. The ball should begin above the shoulder, rotating behind and then pushing the ball in front
- The spare arm should be straight in front, aiming at the target, for extra aim. The player should step forward onto the front foot to increase the power
- For catching, we want to see a ‘cupping’ (bird’s nest) technique with the hands when the ball is traveling from a height, making sure that we bend our knees and keep our eye on the ball. If the ball is traveling towards us, we want to see the W shape, by joining the thumbs together to create a W, with the fingers outstretched and knees bent.
- Can the children decide which throw is the correct one to use during the games. An underarm throw will be used when we want more accuracy or a throw from a short distance. We use an overarm throw to throw a greater distance or when we want to add more power to our throw.
Key Questions:
- When should we use the birds nest technique and when should we use the W shape technique to catch the ball?
- When should we use the underarm throw and when should we use the overarm throw during the games?
- How can we add power to our overarm throw technique?
National curriculum links:
- Master basic movements such as running, throwing and catching, developing agility and co-ordination, and applying those skills to activities
- Participate in team games against others, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending
Social/environmental skills:
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing good communication skills
- Developing good decision making skills
Lesson 6: Multi Skills Stations
Warm-up • Skill Development • Game
View Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives:
- To be able to compete against others fairly, showing respect throughout.
- To perform skills with good control and technique.
- To show improvements to our work.
Success Criteria:
- I can compete as part of a team, against others, in a multi skills competition.
- I can combine skills taught in the previous weeks within the activities set out, using good control and technique for each in order to succeed.
- I can show improvements in my work from previous weeks when working at the stations.
Key Words:
- Compete
- Respect
- Improving
Equipment:
Preparation Ideas (warm up) – Chaos Tag
Everyone is on for this game. The idea is to tag others, without being tagged yourself. If you are tagged, you stand on the outside of the playing area (you may want to set up one particular area for the tagged players to stand in).
To get back into the game, the player who tagged you needs to have been tagged and standing on the outside of the playing area, for you to return to the game. If you tag someone at the same time, you complete a game of rock, paper, scissors to decide a winner. When completing the game, you cannot be tagged.
This game is about being honest and being respectful of the rules and the others participating. If you have been tagged and do not go out of the game, someone waiting to return will know and will let the teacher know, so honesty and respect are important elements of the game.
Game – Station Work
Split the class into even groups for the stations that we have set out in the lesson. Each group will take it in turns on each station, before moving to the next. Each group should be at each station for a minimum of 5 mins (how long will depend on the time you have for the session).
You can have the children compete against others in their group.
Station 1 – Tennis ball bucket challenge
Have the children split in half on this challenge. The idea is to attempt to bounce the ball into the bucket using a tennis ball. Have the children stood around 5m away from the bucket. The ball must bounce once, before landing in the bucket. 1 point is awarded for each successful attempt.
If competing in their group, the player with the highest number of points wins.
Station 2 – Buckaroo
Split the group into pairs and give them a number of cones.
One of the pair needs to form a balance (allow them to be creative with their balance) and hold the position. Meanwhile, whilst holding their balance, their partner will look to place cones on various parts of their body (you cannot stack cones one on top of the other).
If they are successful in balancing all of the cones provided, they must hold their balance for a count of 5, before shouting ‘Buckaroo’ and jumping, causing the cones to fall off.
Station 3 – Rainbow rock, paper, scissors
Split the group in half and create a rainbow shape with various coloured hula hoops.
When go is called, the player at the front of each group, jumps through the hoops, until the reach the player from the opposition team. They then complete a game of rock paper scissors, with the winner continuing around the rainbow, the loser joining the back of their own queue. The next person in the losing team’s group will immediately follow and jump through the hoops until again they reach the opponent.
A team is awarded a point when their player jumps through and reaches the final hoop on the other side of the rainbow.
Station 4 – Domes and Dishes
Scatter a bunch of cones around the area. Have 2 teams. 1 is domes (cones the right way up) and the other is dishes (cones upside down). The objective is that the Domes must flip the cones into dishes and the same vice versa. Give the children 90 seconds to turn as many cones as they can. The children can’t stay at the same cone they must move elsewhere. Team with the most cones win, losing team does a forfeit.
This game will make the children change direction and speeds throughout the game. It will also make the children look where they are going to use the cones as a gage to find space. As they shouldn’t go to a cone where a teammate is already.
Teaching Points:
- We want to ensure that the children are using the correct technique when at each station. When throwing, can they use either the underarm or overarm technique correctly, ensuring they have good control when it comes to the power and aim of their throw. When catching, can the children use the bird’s nest or W shape technique, whichever they think is best to use to catch the ball. When jumping, can they bend their knees and swing their arms, landing on 2 feet. When balancing, can they remain still and focus on maintaining their shape.
- We want the children to compete fairly throughout the session, showing respect to others who they are either competing with or against. We want to see good sportsmanship, encouraging others and celebrating success.
Key Questions:
- What do we mean by the term respect?
- How can we show respect to others in the session?
- How did we use good technique when at each station today?
National curriculum links:
- Master basic movements including throwing and running, developing balance, agility and co-ordination, and applying those skills in activities.
- Participate in team games, developing simple tactics for attacking and defending.
Social/environmental skills:
- Showing and developing respect for others
- Showing good sportsmanship throughout the session
- Developing resilience in looking to improve throughout the session
- Developing team work and collaboration skills
- Developing good communication skills with others
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