Color Ball Rain Catch
The teacher tosses colored foam balls high into the air and each team tries to catch the balls of its color before they hit the ground twice and carry them home. Students work on reacting to visual cues, catching, and cooperating with no elimination.
How to play
- Make 4 teams of 6 or 7 wearing colored pinnies that match the ball colors; each team has a hoop in a corner of the blacktop as its home base (1 min).
- The teacher stands in the middle with 20 balls in four colors and tosses one every 3–4 seconds, high and to different areas; teams without a ball jog in place in their zone (2 min).
- The team whose color is in the air tries to catch it before the second bounce; the catcher jogs it to the team hoop and comes back. If it bounces twice, anyone rolls it back to the middle.
- Second round: toss two balls of different colors at the same time (2 min).
- Third round: the teacher calls a color that does not match the ball, and the team called must catch it instead (2 min).
- Count up: each team counts the balls in its hoop out loud, then returns them to the middle (1 min).
Rules
- Only the team called goes after the ball; everyone else jogs in their zone.
- Whoever calls "Mine!" first makes the catch; everyone else slows down and moves away.
- Never take a ball out of someone else's hands.
- Run with your eyes on the ball and your classmates, and never dive.
Variations
Easier
Low tosses, and allow catches after several bounces.
Standard
High tosses that must be caught before the second bounce.
Harder
Catch only with the non-dominant hand, after a clap, or with two colors at once.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: toss some balls to an area close to the student, or give the role of home base keeper who receives and counts the balls.
- Hearing impairment: hold each ball up before tossing so the color is easy to see.
- Skill level: mix high tosses for catching on the run with low ones for students who need more time.
Learning goals
- React to a visual color cue.
- Catch a moving ball by judging its path.
- Work with the team while avoiding collisions.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Foam balls: 20
- Colored pinnies: 25
- Hoops: 4
Teacher tip
Toss balls to different parts of the blacktop so students do not all bunch up in one spot. If the same student keeps catching, have anyone who just caught one wait one toss at home base.
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