Pendulum Skittles
An adaptation of traditional hanging-ball skittles: students release a ball hanging from a rope so that on its return swing it knocks down pins set in a diamond. It builds accuracy, focus, and an understanding of pendulum motion.
How to play
- Hang 4 ropes from the goal crossbars and basketball rims, each with a tennis ball inside a sock, 4 inches off the floor. Under each, set 9 bottles in a diamond and chalk a 5-foot safety circle (3 min).
- Make 4 groups of 6: bowler, two pin setters, scorekeeper, and two on deck. Standing at the edge of the circle, the bowler holds the ball at arm's length and releases it with a slight sideways push.
- Traditional rule: the ball must pass beside the pins on the way out and knock them down on the way back. Pins that fall on the way out do not count and are reset.
- Each turn has 3 releases; 1 point per pin knocked down on the return and 3 bonus points if all 9 fall. Roles rotate after each turn (12 min).
- Final round (5 min): each bowler predicts how many pins will fall; an exact guess earns 5 points.
Rules
- Only the bowler stands at the circle's edge; nobody steps in until the ball has stopped.
- Release the ball; never throw it hard.
- Pin setters stop the rope by hand before resetting.
Variations
Easier
Pins count on both the outward and return swings.
Standard
Only return-swing pins count, with 3 releases per turn.
Harder
The center pin, marked with tape, must fall first for the others to count.
Adaptations
- Wheelchair users: shorten the rope so the ball is within reach from the chair.
- Visual impairment: sand in the bottles makes them rattle when they fall, and a partner counts out loud.
- Skill level: anyone who knocks down all 9 releases from a farther chalk mark.
Learning goals
- Predict a pendulum's path to hit a target.
- Stay focused during an accuracy task.
- Learn a traditional game and its rules.
Equipment for a class of 25
- long socks: 4
- tennis balls: 4
- ropes: 4
- recycled bottles: 36
- chalk: 4
Teacher tip
Test the ball height before class: it should just brush the bottle necks. If the goals are not anchored, do not use them, and hang ropes only from the rims.
PatioLab has "Pendulum Skittles" and 3999 more activities ready to drag into your lesson and run from your phone in the gym.
More activities like this
More main activities for Elementary
1-on-1 Mini Volleyball Up and Down the River
One-on-one mini volleyball duels on 3 x 3 m courts under a rope 2 m high, using a receive, self-set and send rule.
1-on-1 Side-Step Square Duels
In pairs, inside 5 x 5 m squares, an attacker holding a football tries to get from the starting side to the far side without the defender pulling a flag.
1v1 Four-Gate Soccer Duels
In a square with a gate on each side, two players go head to head and score by dribbling through any of the four gates.
2-on-2 Mini Volleyball with a Neutral Setter
Two-on-two mini volleyball with a neutral setter under the rope who always plays for the team with the ball.
2v1 Attack Waves to Mini Goals
Two attackers take on one defender and try to score on a small goal in under 10 seconds.
2v2 Alley Mini-Volleyball
A 2v2 mini-volleyball game on a very long, narrow court, about 33×10 feet, where the only way to win a point is by playing for depth: short near the net or deep to the…