Peteca: Palm Hitting Like in Brazil

We play with the peteca, a large feathered shuttlecock that people in Brazil hit with the palm of the hand, which comes from Brazil's Indigenous peoples. Children practice hitting with the hand, tracking with their eyes and playing with a partner.

How to play

1. The teacher shows a peteca and explains it has been played in Brazil for a very long time, first by Indigenous peoples and now on beaches and playgrounds. Pass it around the circle so everyone can touch it (2 min).
2. Each child with their own: toss it up and catch it with both hands (2 min).
3. Hit it upward with an open palm and catch it; then two hits in a row (3 min).
4. In pairs, send it to each other with a palm hit; the partner catches it or sends it back with another hit (3 min).
5. Finish in groups of four in a circle, trying to send the peteca all the way around without it falling (2 min).

Rules

• Hit with an open palm, from under the peteca.
• Send it gently so your partner can catch it.
• If it falls, pick it up and keep going.
• Each pair stays in its own space.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: play seated in pairs close together, or hit with a cardboard paddle.
• Less coordination: use a bigger, lighter peteca that falls more slowly.
• Visual impairment: use a peteca with bright feathers and a large bell at the base; the partner calls "coming!"

Learning goals

• Hit an object upward with the palm.
• Pass an object to a partner with control.
• Learn about a traditional game from Brazil.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Petecas (hand shuttlecocks): 25

Teacher tip

You can make a homemade peteca with a small fabric pouch filled with rice, sewn shut tightly and about the size of a tangerine, topped with feathers or paper strips. Kids often hit from the side; say "palm faces the sky."

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