Owl Eyes Follow the Ball
Children are owls who follow a ball with their eyes as the teacher moves it slowly, first with just their eyes and then with their whole body. They practice visual tracking and gently wake up neck, arms and legs.
How to play
- Sitting on the floor, we turn into owls: eyes wide open and hands making glasses (1 min).
- The teacher slowly moves the ball side to side and up and down; the owls follow it with only their eyes, keeping their heads still (1 min).
- Now we follow it with our heads and a pointing finger, as if drawing its path in the air (1 min).
- Standing up: when the ball goes up, we reach on tiptoe; when it goes down, we squat; when it goes sideways, we take little steps that way (1 min).
- The ball floats very slowly to the floor and the owls land on their branch, sitting still (1 min).
Rules
- Owls watch the ball the whole time.
- First only our eyes move.
- We move slowly, just like the ball.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use big, very slow movements and let them move their heads from the start.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, alternate eyes only and eyes plus body.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, the teacher draws circles and figure eights, and sometimes hides the ball behind their back to see if they spot it when it reappears.
Adaptations
- Child with limited mobility: plays the whole game seated, following with eyes, head and arms.
- Child with low vision: use a bright ball or one with a bell inside so they can track it by sound too.
- Child who struggles to stay focused: sits right in front of the teacher and sometimes gets to lead the ball.
Learning goals
- Track a moving object with the eyes.
- Move the eyes independently from the head.
- Warm up the body gently.
Equipment for a class of 25
- pelota grande de color: 1
Teacher tip
Seat the group with their backs to the window so the light doesn't get in their eyes. Moving too fast is the usual mistake: the slower the ball, the better they track it.
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