Striking Stations: Hand, Foot, Paddle, Stick and Bat
Five stations where students strike an object with a different body part or implement each time: hand, foot, paddle, hockey stick and bat. Students build striking skills, control of force and direction, and compare how each strike feels.
How to play
- Make 5 groups of 5 and introduce the stations with a quick demonstration (3 min).
- Hand: hit a balloon or soft ball against the wall, letting it bounce once between hits. Foot: kick a soft ball into a cone goal 5 m away with the inside and laces of the foot.
- Paddle: keep a soft ball up, counting hits in a row. Hockey stick: dribble and shoot into a cone goal without lifting the stick.
- Bat: hit off a batting tee toward scoring zones marked with cones at 5, 10 and 15 m.
- Each station lasts 4 minutes; students track their best streak or score and rotate on the whistle (20 min).
- Wrap-up (2 min): ask which strike was easiest and why, and which body part or implement gives the most control.
Rules
- At the bat station only one student hits while the rest wait behind the line.
- Sticks and bats stay below the waist except for the bat swing itself.
- Collect equipment only after the hitter is done.
- Each station has its own space; don't drift into the next one.
Variations
Easier
Use balloons at the hand and paddle stations and move the goals closer.
Standard
Five stations with five kinds of striking and a best-score record.
Harder
Strike with the non-dominant side or aim at smaller zones.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: hand and paddle striking from a wheelchair, plus hockey with a larger ball.
- Visual impairment: large, brightly colored balls and a goal that makes a sound when hit.
- Lower skill: a partner tosses or sets up the object close by to make contact easier.
Learning goals
- Strike objects with different body parts and implements.
- Adjust force and direction to hit a target.
- Compare strikes and explain which gives more control.
Equipment for a class of 25
- balloons: 5
- paddles: 5
- hockey sticks: 5
- batting tees: 2
- soft bats: 2
- soft balls: 15
- cones: 12
Teacher tip
Put the bat station at one end, facing an empty area. Keep repeating "watch the object until you hit it," the cue that works at every station.
PatioLab has "Striking Stations: Hand, Foot, Paddle, Stick and Bat" 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…