Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

Beat the Ball

What’s Needed• 5+players,ages6–8• 1largeball• anopenarea

How to Play• Playersstandinacircle.• 1playerrollsorpassestheballtotheplayernexttohimandthen

runsintheoppositedirectionaroundtheoutsideofcircle.Theballcontinuestoberolledorpassedaroundthecircleastherunnerracesbacktohisspottryingtobeattheball.

• Eachplayertakesaturnrunningaroundthecircle.

Variations• Continuerollingtheball.Haverunnersstarttorunaroundthecircle

assoonastheplayertotheirrightreturnstobase.

Ability Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1.Action–howtopass/numberoftimesballpasses. 2.Equipment–ball(type/size). 3.Paceoftravel.

Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

What’s Needed• 8+players,ages8–12• 1largebouncyball• anopenarea

How to Play • PlayerscalledFlippersstandinacirclefacingoutwardwiththeirfeet

wideapartandtouchingafootoftheplayersoneachside.1playerstandsinthemiddleastheMovingTarget.1Flipperholdstheball.

• Flippersbenddownandswingtheirarmsbetweentheirlegslikeflippersonapinballmachine.TheytrytohittheMovingTargetwiththeball.Flipperscanhit,catchorthrowtheball.TheMovingTargetavoidsgettinghit.

• IftheMovingTargetishit,shechangesplaceswiththeFlipperwhothrewtheball.

Variations• TeamStrideBall(foryoungerchildren):Playersstandfacinginward.

Theplayerinthecentreholdstheballandtriestorollitoutwardsbetweenthelegsoftheplayers.Theplayersinthecircletrytostoptheballbyusingonlytheirhands.Iftheballrollsthroughaplayer’slegs,shechangesplaceswiththecentreplayer.

Circle PinballAbility Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1.Action–howtocatch/hit/throwtheball. 2.Equipment–ball(size/softness). 3.Safehitting/hitspot.

Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

What’s Needed• 6–12players,ages6–10• 1ball(soft)• chalk/hula-hoops/longskippingrope/tape• anopenarea

How to Play • Make3islands(circles)onthegroundwithchalk,

hula-hoops,ropeortape.1playerstandsoneachisland.TheyaretheCastaways.OtherplayersareCrocodilesandstandaroundtheislands.

• TheCastawaysthrowtheballtoeachotherwithoutsteppingofftheirisland.TheCrocodilestryto

gettheball.• IfaCrocodilegetstheballtheychangeplaceswiththeCastawaywhothrewtheball.

Variations• Changenumberofplayers,sizeofcircles,sizeofballs.

Crocodile Island

Ability Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1.Action–howtocatch/pass. 2.Equipment–ball(type/size). 3.Safety–accessiblecircles.

Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

Variations• TheCaptaindecidesthevariationbeforeplaystarts. –Highsies:Bounceabovewaist. –Lowsies:Bouncebelowwaist. –Otherhand:Bouncewiththeotherhand.• Captainchoosesaletter.Playerscalloutawordthatstartswith

thatletterastheyhittheball.• Playerscatchtheballbeforebouncing/throwingitintoanother

player’ssquare.• Changetypeorsizeofball.

What’s Needed • 4+players,ages8–12• 1largebouncyball• ahardsurfacedareaandsidewalkchalk

How to Play• Drawalargesquareanddivideitinto4equalsquaresabout3mx3m

(9feetx9feet).Numbersquares1to4clockwise.• Aplayerstandsineachsquare.Theplayerinsquare1istheCaptain.• TheCaptainstartsbydroppingtheball.Whenitbouncesback,shehitsthe

ballunderhandedwithanopenpalmintoanothersquare.• Theplayerreceivingtheballletstheballbounceoncebeforehittingitinto

anotherplayer’ssquare.• Thegamecontinuesuntilaplayerfailstoreturntheballorcommitsafault.

Afaultoccurswhenaplayer: a) Failstohittheballafteritlandsinhersquare b) Hitstheballwithafistorhitsitoverhand c) Causestheballtolandonaline d) Allowstheballtotouchanypartofthebodyotherthanthehands e) Catchesorcarriestheball f ) DoesnotfollowtheCaptain’svariations(seeVariations)• Theplayerwhocommitsafaultisoutandotherplayersmoveuptothe

nextsquare.Anewplayerentersthegamebygoingintosquare4.Iftherearenootherplayers,thentheplayerwhocommittedafaultmovestosquare4.

• TheCaptainthenstartsthegameagain.

Four Square

Ability Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1. Action–howtopass/returnball.Whatisafault?

Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

What’s Needed• 4players,ages6–8• 1largebouncyballand1longrope• ahardsurfacedarea

How to Play • 2playersholdtheendsoftheropeinatightstraightlineclosetothe

ground.Theother2playersstandfacingeachotheronoppositesidesoftherope.1ofthemholdstheball.

• Tobeginthegame,theplayerwiththeballbouncesitovertheropetotheotherplayerwhotriestocatchtheball.

• Theplayerscontinuetobouncetheballbackandforthovertherope.• Aftereachsuccessfulcatch,theropeisraisedslightlyhigher.• Theplayerschangeplaceswhenacatchermissestheballortherope

hasbeenheldashighaspossible.

Variations• Usesmallerballsasskillsimprove.

High-Low Bounce

Ability Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1.Action–howtobounce/catchtheball.Whatisamiss? 2.Equipment_ball(type/size).

Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

What’s Needed• 6+players,ages8–12• 1largeball• ahardsurfacedareaandchalk/tape

How to Play • 1playeristheBowlerand1istheBallReturn.Theother4+playersarePins.• MakealineafewmetresawayfromwherethePinsarestandinginacluster. TheBowlerstandsbehindthelineawayfromthePins.• Pinscanpivoton1footinordertoavoidbeinghit,butmustalwayskeepthe

pivotfootontheground.• TheBowlerhas3rollsoftheballandtriestohitasmanyPinsaspossible.Hegets1pointforeachPinhit.• AllPinshitbytheballareoutandmoveoffthefielduntilthe

nextBowler’sturn.• TheBallReturngetstheballandgivesitbacktotheBowler

aftereachrolloftheball.• AftertheBowlerfinisheshisturn(hasrolled3balls),he

becomestheBallReturn.• TheBallReturnbecomesaPin.ThefirstPinoutbecomes

theBowler.• PlaycontinuesuntilallplayershavebeenaBowler.Thewinneristheplayerwiththemostpoints.

Variations• ChangethenumberofPinsornumberofrollstheBowlerisallowed.

Human BowlingAbility Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1. Action–howtoroll/whatisahit? 2. Boundaries/space. 3. Equipment–ball(type/size). 4. Safehitting/hitspot.

Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

What’s Needed• 1player,ages7–10• 1bouncyball• ahardsurfacedarea

How to Play • Theplayerbouncestheballonthegroundandchantsthefollowingrhyme:• Whentheplayersays,“O’Leary”intherhyme,hedoesoneofthefollowing:

bouncestheballunderaliftedleg,clapshishandsortwirls.

One, Two, Three, O’ Leary

One,two,three,O’Leary…Four,five,six,O’Leary…

Seven,eight,nine,O’Leary…Ten,O’Leary,Catchme!

Variations • Largerballcanbeusedforyoungerchildren.• Gamescanbeplayedaloneortogetherinsmallgroups.

Ability Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1. Action–howtobounce/catchtheball/dootheractions. 2. Equipment–ball(type/size).

Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

Ability Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1. Action–howtohold/hitwiththeracquet. 2. Equipment–ball(type/size). 3. Pairing.

What’s Needed• 2+players,ages8–12• 1coat-hangerracquet(seeGetSet!BeCreative)• 1lightweightball(sponge/crumpledpaper)• anopenarea• atensorbandagemaybeneededforabilityadaptation

How to Play• Eachplayerhasaracquetandball.• Playerstrystrikingtheballindifferentways(overhand/

underhand),tryingtokeeptheballupintheair.• Playerscanhittheballbackandforthwithapartner.

Paper Tennis

Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

Variations • Changenumberofballsorhandsusedtothrow

orcatch.• Lettheballsbounceoncebeforecatchinganddo

anaction(clap,twirl)beforecatching.

What’s Needed• 1player,ages9–12• 2ballsperplayer(tennis)• ahardsurfacedareawithawall

How to Play• Eachplayerhas2tennisballsandholds1ineachhand.• Theplayertosses1ballagainstthewall.Asitreturns,shetossesthesecondball

againstthewallandcatchesthefirstballwiththeotherhand.Shecontinuesthisthrowandcatchuntilshemissesaball.Theballsmustnothittheground.

• Playerscountthenumberoftimestheycatchtheballs.

Two Ball Wall Ball

Ability Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1. Action–howtocatch/throw. 2. Pairing.

Adapted with permission from Toronto Public Health 2012

What’s Needed• 10+players,ages8–12• 1+balls• anopenarea

How to Play • Playersformacirclewith2playersinthemiddle.• Ballsarethrownacrossthecirclewhilethe2playersinthemiddle

trytocatchtheball.• Iftheballiscaughtbyaplayerinthemiddle,shechangesplaces

withtheplayerwhothrewtheball.• Ifaplayerthrowstheballandnobodycatchesit,thatplayerjoins

themiddleplayers.

Variations• Foralargergrouphavemoreplayersinthecircleanduseextraballs.

Wandering Ball

Ability Adaptation Guidelines • Decidebeforeplaying: 1. Action–howtothrow/catch. 2. Boundaries/space. 3. Equipment–ball(type/size).