Lacrosse Scoops: The Ball Rides in My Basket

We get a taste of lacrosse, a game created by Indigenous peoples of North America, such as the Haudenosaunee, and today Canada's national summer sport: using a scoop made from a bottle, we carry, release and pick up a ball. Children practice coordinating with equipment and keeping balance on the move.

How to play

1. The teacher shows a picture of a lacrosse stick and explains that Indigenous peoples of North America created the game and that it's very popular in Canada today. Each child gets a bottle scoop and a ball (2 min).
2. Carry the ball in the scoop walking around the playground without dropping it, slowly at first and then faster (3 min).
3. Scoop the ball up off the ground without using hands and carry it to a box (3 min).
4. In pairs: one gently rolls the ball and the other scoops it up; then switch (4 min).
5. Finish by carrying all the balls to the boxes using only the scoops and putting the equipment away neatly (2 min).

Rules

• Touch the ball with the scoop, not your hands (except to load it at the start).
• Keep the scoop below your head.
• Watch where you're going.
• Roll the ball gently along the ground.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: carry the ball in the scoop on the lap and scoop up balls set on a table.
• Less coordination: use bigger balls and a wider scoop made from a jug.
• Visual impairment: use balls with bells inside and have the partner clap to show where to roll.

Learning goals

• Balance an object on a piece of equipment while moving.
• Pick up a ball from the ground with equipment.
• Learn about the Indigenous origins of lacrosse and its place in Canada.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Bottle scoops: 25
• Foam balls: 25
• Boxes: 4

Teacher tip

Cut milk or detergent jugs leaving the handle as a grip, and sand or tape the edges well. Talk about lacrosse as a living game that people still play today, not something from the past.

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