Knock Down the Color I Sing

In small groups, each with its own bowling set of four colored bottles, children roll a ball to knock down the color the teacher sings. It builds aiming direction and force, color recognition, and waiting for a turn.

How to play

1. Make groups of three or four; each group gets four bottles (red, blue, yellow and green) set two or three steps from their line (2 min).
2. The teacher sings, "Bottle, bottle, standing tall, which one's going to fall? Red!" The child with the ball rolls it at that bottle, then passes the ball to the next friend (4 min).
3. Now each child calls out the color they're aiming for before rolling (3 min).
4. Try it sitting on the floor with legs apart, rolling the ball with both hands (2 min).
5. Clean up: each child carries the bottle in their favorite color to the box (1 min).

Rules

• I roll the ball on the floor, I don't throw it.
• If a different color falls, that's fine too: I stand it up and keep going.
• I wait my turn behind the line.
• Whoever rolls sets the bottles back up.

Variations

Adaptations

• Visual impairment: the teacher claps behind the named bottle, and bottles use high-contrast colors.
• Limited mobility: the child rolls the ball from the wheelchair down a cardboard ramp that the two of you aim together.
• Autism: pass a turn card along with the ball so it's clear whose turn it is.

Learning goals

• Adjust direction and force when rolling a ball.
• Identify and name colors.
• Take turns within a group.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Large bottles with colored water: 24
• Medium balls: 7

Teacher tip

Fill bottles a third of the way with water and food coloring and glue the caps on, so they tip over but don't roll far. Lots of small groups means very little waiting.

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