Hops and Laps Around My Ball
Each child sets their ball still on the floor and plays at moving around it: circling it, swinging a foot over it, or hopping beside it without touching. The body warms up while the eyes keep track of the ball and where the feet land.
How to play
- Everyone puts their ball on the floor, spread out from friends, and looks at it: “It’s an island and we don’t want to move it” (1 min).
- Walk laps around the island, first one way and then the other (1 min).
- Swing one foot over the ball without touching it, then the other, like stepping on air (1 min).
- Little two-foot hops to one side of the ball and the other (1 min).
- Final round: the teacher calls “lap,” “foot over,” or “hop” and everyone does it (1 min).
Rules
- Don’t touch the island: if I move it, I put it back.
- Each child at their own island, apart from friends.
- I watch the ball while I move.
Variations
Easier
Age 3: just walking laps and swinging the foot over while holding the teacher’s hand or the wall.
Standard
Age 4: laps, foot over, and side hops.
Harder
Age 5: hopping on one foot around it, or a small hop forward over the ball.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: circle the ball in the wheelchair and pass a hand through the air above it.
- Visual impairment: a ball that makes sound and a hoop around it the child can feel with the foot.
- Autism: mark their ball’s spot with colored tape and preview each move with a picture card.
Learning goals
- Warm up the legs with movement and gentle hops.
- Track an object’s position relative to the foot.
- Move around an object without touching it.
Equipment for a class of 25
- Soft balls: 25
Teacher tip
Spread children far apart so islands don’t mix. If they step on the ball when swinging over, switch to smaller or foam balls.
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