The Ball That Rolls to the Teacher and Back

Sitting on the floor with legs apart, children roll a soft ball to the teacher, who rolls it back saying the child's name, in a very short game repeated many times. It builds connection with the adult from a distance, rolling and catching, and hearing their own name.

How to play

1. The teacher sits with legs apart facing a small group of 5 or 6 children sitting the same way, a couple of steps away (1 min).
2. The teacher rolls the ball to a child saying "This is for you, Lucy," and the child rolls it back: "This is for you, teacher" (2 min).
3. Repeat with every child in the small group, one after another, always with the same words (2 min).
4. Scoot back one step and keep rolling, a little farther from the teacher each time (2 min).
5. Now the ball goes from child to child, and at the end it always comes back to the teacher (2 min).
6. Hug the ball and give it back to the teacher by walking over for a hug (1 min).

Rules

• The ball rolls on the floor, not through the air.
• Before rolling, we say the name of who gets it.
• We wait for the ball to reach us.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: play on a table or use a cardboard tube as a ramp to roll the ball.
• Visual impairment: use a ball with a bell sewn securely inside, and say the name before rolling.
• Autism: the child can play only with the teacher the whole time, without passing to classmates, if that keeps them calmer.

Learning goals

• Roll and receive a ball while sitting.
• Stay connected to the adult at a distance.
• Recognize their own name and classmates' names.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Foam balls: 6

Teacher tip

Make small groups with an adult in each one if you can. The game is repetitive on purpose: during the transition period, predictability is calming.

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