Have fun in the sun with these traditional games that simply need a ball and some energetic children
Goalies
Form a circle with one child in the middle who is the ball thrower. This child then throws at anyone in any order. Whoever drops the ball has to sit down and the last one standing is the winner.
Up And Down
Stand in a circle and pass the ball around. If a child drops the ball, they have to go down on one knee. If they catch it on the next go, they can stand up again. But if they drop it again, they have to go down on two knees, then one elbow, two elbows, one chin and finally out. The player has to throw and catch the ball in their new position.
Head Or Catch
Form a circle with a ball thrower in the middle. Children have to do the opposite of what the thrower asks them. So if the thrower says “Catch”, the child has to head the ball back to the thrower. If the thrower says “Head”, the child has to catch the ball and throw it back.
Bucket Ball
Get two buckets or bowls and put them at either end of a ‘pitch’ area. Divide the group into two teams and play a simple game of basketball, letting the children throw and bounce the ball between and into the buckets.
Shooting Gallery
Set up an array of plastic tea set pieces, play food or soft toys on a low wall or bench. Children then throw a soft ball to see how many items they can knock off.
