Ball Games for PE lessons
Ball games should meet the needs of all students, not just the athletically gifted. Use a selection of balls with a variety of weights and sizes to ensure success.
10-MINUTE BALL FITNESS WORKOUT
- Each student has a ball;
- Students are scattered in general space, and use their personal space to perform skills.
Call out each skill for students to perform. If necessary, demonstrate the skill. Mix the calls up as the students become competent in performing the skills.
1. Wrap it - Move the ball around your waist.
2. Knees - Move the ball around your knees.
3. Around the world - Move the ball around your head.
4. Push and pass - While in push-up position, use one hand to push the ball from your right side to your left side. Alternate hands.
5. Right hand - Dribble with your right hand.
6. Left hand - Dribble with your left hand.
7. Curl and touch - Lie down with your back on the floor in sit-up position. Tap the ball above your head, curl up, tap the floor in front of the toes, and tap again behind your head.
8. Jog it - Jog while moving the ball away from and to your chest.
9. Spider stand - With your feet shoulder-width apart, roll the ball on the floor in a figure eight.
10. Fingertip drill- Holding the ball away from your body, use your fingertips to move the ball from hand to hand.
Add advanced ball-handling tricks such as "Pass the ball under your legs while walking" or "Kneel on one knee and dribble the ball by pushing it under the other knee". Have students dribble around the room while avoiding others, stop when the teacher signals, and then perform the trick that the teacher calls out. Have students perform ball tricks with a partner.
ASTEROIDS
- Divide the playing area in half;
- In the middle of each half of the playing area, form a circlee (crater) of upright gymnastics mats;
- Have plenty of foam balls on hand;
- Divide the students into two teams;
- For added difficulty, add pool noodles.
Students practice overhand throwing by attempting to throw foam balls (asteroids) across the centre line and into the opposing team's circlee (crater). Students may guard their team's crater and knock away or catch balls. Have the students play in timed rounds. After each round, count the number of asterioids in each crater. Students can help by throwing balls out of the crater as the class counts.
For added difficulty, place two or three students inside each crater and allow them to throw the balls out of their team members. Give each guard (Jedi Knights) a pool noodle and allow them to bat away asteroids.
For lower internsity, instead of placing the mats on the floor in a circle, place them across the middle of the gym in a line. For several minutes, students catch and throw, underhand and overhand into the other team's space. Count to see who has fewer asteroids. That team has saved their planet.
BALL BOMBARDMENT
- Place cage balls, beachballs, and foam balls in the centre of the playing area to act as targets.
- Divide the students into two groups.
- Give each student two balls or objects to throw such as bean bags, foam softballs, and whiffle balls.
Group 1 stands at the starting line. At the signal, all members of group 1 throw their balls, attempting to hit the target balls in the middle of the playing area to move them away from the starting line. Group 1 retrieves the balls and returns to the staring line behind group 2. Group 2 moves into position on the starting line and throws on the signal. Challenge students to move the target bals in the middle of the gym farther away each round, or time how long it takes for them to move across the end line.
For added difficulty, divide the play area into four equal squares and the students into four teams. Have the members of each team position themselves along the outside boundaries of one square. Place balls in the middle of the play area. On your signal, students throw balls at the balls in the middle, attempting to move them into another team's square. After each round, stop and award points to teams who have balls resting inside their square. After each round, stop and award points to teams who have balls resting inside their square. The team who has no balls inside their square wins. For safety, students may not enter the playing area to retrieve a ball. They may throw only the balls that they can reach from the sidelines. (A teacher may enter the playing area to knock thrown balls out to the boundary players)
Before beginning this game, ask the students why honesty is important during a game. Being honest includes playing fair and playing by the rules. After the game, ask the students to consider whether or not they were honest.
GLOBETROTTER GAMES
- One ball per student;
- Students scattered in general space;
- Any upbeat music;
- Fluff balls for lower intensity.
Under the teacher's direction, students perform the following skills to the music.
- Slaps: One hand at a time, slap the basketball on its side in a rhythmical pattern.
- Fingertip drill: Move the ball from low to high and high to low by using the fingertips to push the ball side to side.
- Around the world: Move the basketball in circles around the neck to the waist, knees, and ankles, and back up.
- One leg: While standing with your legs straddled, circle the ball around one of your legs.
- Figure eight: Weave the basketball in a figure eight around your right leg and then your left leg.
- Hike: Hold the ball between your knees. Drop the ball, and move your hands from the front of your legs to the back of your legs without letting the ball touch the ground.
- Cross hike: Hold the ball between your knees. With one hand in the front and one in the back, switch hands without letting the ball touch the ground.
- Walking scissors: Pass the ball between the legs while walking with wide strides.
- Knee dribble: Dribble the ball while kneeling on one knee, then while lying down, and then while kneeling on one knee again.
- Computer: Sit on the floor, and pretend to type on top of the ball.
- Floor rhythm drill: Play the basketball like a drum, attempting to make it leave the floor in order to continue dribbling.
Have students perform the drills faster. Encourage them not to look at the ball. Use the activities in a line circuit or stations. Ask students to create their own activities and show them to the class. Have pairs of students do matching activities for 16 counts and then bounce-pass the ball to each other.
Ball handling, such as what is done in Globetrotter games, can increase flexibility. Have a discussion about this concept with the students. Ask them "What is flexibility?", "What stretches have you seen a basketball player do before a game?", "What muscles have to be strong to support the body during basketball handling drills?", "Why is flexibility important?"
BALL BONANZA
- One ball;
- Four lines of equally spaced polyspots, one spot per student;
- Cones to mark the lines
- Music
- Signs with the following tricks:
- Line 1: Tricks from Globetrotter Games;
- Line 2: Dribble drills: In place, students practice dribbling while kneeling, sitting, and lying down;
- Line 3: Throw-and-catch tricks such as throw to self; jump to catch (rebound), and toss, clap, and catch;
- Line 4: Ball stretches: Students use the ball to stretch all around their body. for example, they might sit in a straddle position and push the ball forward with both hands.
Each student has a ball and stands on a polyspot. Students perform the assigned task while the music is playing. When the music stops, students keep their ball and move to the next line. Row 5 jogs once and around the entire area and stops at line 1.
For added intensity, add advanced skills for older students. Add a shooting station. Use all available baskets for free throws.
To lower the difficulty, change the task to the following:
Line 1: Bounce and catch
Line 2: Toss and catch to self
Line 3: One-hand dribble
Line 4: Sit-and-reach ball stretch (Push ball down legs to toes).
BAZOOKA BALL
- Provide 100 or more tennis balls or assorted balls. Balls will need to be marked with a number from 1 through 10.
- Place 10 hoops (one for each team) at the starting line.
- Students form 10 teams and stand behind the starting line.
- Place 10 balls inside each team's hoop. Mix the numbers so that students don't throw their own balls.
On the teacher's signal, one student at a time from each team throw a ball out into the playing field and then goes to the end of their team line. One student at a time throws from each team until all balls are thrown. Reverse the action: On the signal, one student at a time from each team retrieves their team's numbered ball. Play continues until all balls are found. Have students play in rounds, changing team after each round.
When a student finds a ball with another team's number on it, he or she may hike the ball (throw it backward between the legs) to another place in the play area to confuse that team. Students waiting their turn can play throw-and-catch with one another or practice ball tricks.
DRIBBLE MANIA
- One ball per student
- Music (Wipeout by Safaris)
Under the teacher's direction, student perform the following actions:
- Follow the leader: A student without a ball leads another student (the follower) in different directions while the follower dribbles.
- Switch: Students "follow the leader", but both members of a pair have a ball. When the teacher says, "Switch", the pair changes direction and the leader becomes the follower.
- Copycat: Students "follow the leader", but both members of a pair have a ball. The leader walks or switches hands while bouncing and catching the ball. The follower copies the leader's pathway and ball movements.
- Wipe out: "Wipeout" plays. During the verses, the students dribble freely around the area. During the drum solo, students perform ball-handling movements.
The following activities increase the challenge:
- Rotate: Students "follow the leader", but both members of a pair have a ball. When the teacher says, "Rotate", the follower becomes the leader.
- Change and rotate - In the course of "follow the leader", teams change directions on the word "change" and rotate whenever the teacher directs them to.
To lower the difficulty, dribbling in one spot, students practice switching hands and bouncing the ball with two hands. They may count how many times they dribble the ball within one minute. Add dribbling while walking; let the students choose whether to dribble with one hand or two hands. Walking, bouncing, and catching is also appropriate for some students.
DRIBBLE MANIA 2
- One basketball per student
- Varied formations per activity
Under the teacher's direction, students perform the following activities:
- Dribbling math: Students dribble throughout the play area. When they meet a new student, they stop moving and dribble in place. Both students count out loud to three and then flash a certain number of fingers with their free hand. Each student tries to be the first one to say the sum of the numbers shown.
- Continuous dribble tag: Mark off two play areas. All students have a ball and dribble freely in one of the two areas. Students try to tap away other students' balls. When a student's ball is tapped away or the student otherwise loses control of his or her hand, that student must move to the other play area and begin a new game with other players. Players must move back and forth between the two areas.
- Dribble and go: Put numbers on polyspots and cones and place the polyspots and cones around the play area. Starting at different numbers, students pause in front of a polyspot or cone with the next number in the sequence and dribble as before.
- Line dribbling: Students form lines of three or four students. At the whistle, the last student in each line dribbles to the front of the other students.
- Countdown dribble: Kneeling at the 12th of 12th lines on the floor, students do 12 dribbles. Then kneeling at the 11th line, they do 11 dribbles. They continue this way until they've dribbled once while kneeling at line 1.
Healthy Kid Tag
- Red foam balls, green foam balls;
- Students scattered in general space.
Explain to students that everyday decisions affect their health. Discuss unhealthy choices such as eating fatty or sugary foods, not exercising enough, or smoking cigarettes as well as healthy alternatives. Encourage students to make healthy choices.
Show the students a red foam ball and a green foam ball. Tell them that a red ball represents an unhealthy behavior and a green ball represents a healthy one. Give a red ball to each four students. These "health stoppers" will try to tag other students by using a red ball. Being tagged by a red ball represents being involved in an unhealthy behavior. Give a green ball to each of four students, the "health savers". Students without a ball will walk around the room, trying to avoid the health stoppers. Students tagged by a health stopper must freeze until a health saver unfreezes them by touching them with a green ball, symbolically changing their behavior from unhealthy to healthy.
To make it more funnier and educational, a "frozen" student tagged by a "health saver" doesn't become unfrozen until he or she declares a health resolution, such as "I'll eat more vegetables each day". The student then jogs one lap and reenters the game.
HOOP SHOT
- Basketballs
- Basketball hoops
- Polyspots
- A designated "knockout" shooting practice area
Knock-Out: Students line up single-file at the free throw line. Each of the first two players in line has a basketball. Both players shoot at the same time. The first player is "knocked out" if the second player is the first to make the basket. If the first player makes a basket before the second player, the first player remains in the game and passes the ball to the next player in line. The new player immediately enters the game and tries to knock out the player in front. Any player who survives goes to the back of the line. Knocked-out players move to an open goal to practice shots of their choice. Students who prefer not to compete may practice at varying height goals or work on other skills.
1,2,3: Students begin in the centre of the play area. On signal, students dribble to an assigned basket and shoot for 30 seconds. (Two students may be assigned to each basket.) They receive points as follows:
- 1Point: A shot directly in fron of the basket, or a lay-up
- 2Points: A shot made 3 feet (1 meter) from the basket
- 3 Points: A shot made from the free-throw line
Hot Corner: Place two chairs by each basket near the corner of the play area. Number the chairs 1 and 2. Students form lines at each basket. Each student has a ball. A student who makes the shot goes to the end of the line. A student who misses goes to the hot corner and sits on chair 1. When another students misses, she or he replaces the previous student at chair 1, and the previous student moves to chair 2. When another student misses, the student that was sitting at chair 2 rejoins the game.
Tell students to encourage each other during activities because encouragement is a sign of caring and friendship.
SCORE FIVE
- Divide the students into teams of four;
- Give each student a number from 1 to 4;
- Assign each team with a fluff ball and a starting marker, such as a polyspot or cone;
- Place a cone several meters from each team's polyspot
Call out a two-digit number whose digits are limited to 1 through 4. The first digit designates the thrower; the second designates the catcher. For example, if you call out, "12" player 1 throws and player 2 catches. The thrower throws from the starting mark, and the catcher catches behind the cone. Each team tries to score five points by making five good catches before their opponents do.
STAR WARS
- Trash cans or other containers;
- Half-pieces of laminated postboard (shields)
- A circle of polyspots with a trash can in the center for each group
- 5 lightweight balls on each polyspot
- Students paired as alien and jedi warrior (4 pairs at each game station)
- To make it more difficult, use pool noodles
Each alien stands on a polyspot and tries to bombard the planet (trashcan) with space balls. Each Jedi uses her or his shield to knock away the space balls. Each alien gets 5 throws before they switch with their partner. To make it less complicated, allow students to throw without any Jedi blocking them. Or reduce the number of guards. Students can throw underhand.
Excerpt from the book: PE Connections : Helping Kids Succeed through Physical Activity (Thomas M. Fleming and Lisa Bunting)
