The Leg Pool and the Slow Ball

In pairs, sitting face to face with legs apart and the soles of their feet touching, children make a pool where they roll the ball to each other very slowly with their feet. It brings the class back to calm with gentle passes and breathing in sync with a partner.

How to play

1. Pairs sit face to face, legs apart and soles touching: we’ve made a pool (1 min).
2. The ball swims inside: nudge it with a foot very slowly toward your friend (1 min).
3. When you push, breathe out “fffff”; when you receive, breathe in through the nose (1 min).
4. The ball swims along the edge: roll it in a circle along the inside of the legs (1 min).
5. The ball gets tired: slower and slower until it falls asleep in the middle (1 min).
6. Lie back with feet still touching and listen to the quiet (1 min).

Rules

• Our feet stay touching our partner’s.
• The ball moves as slowly as a snail.
• We talk softly; the pool is calm.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: in a wheelchair, the partner sits across and they roll the ball by hand across a table.
• Autism: if foot contact is uncomfortable, leave a gap and mark the pool with a rope.
• Visual impairment: a ball with a bell, and the friend says “Here it comes” when passing.

Learning goals

• Calm down with slow movements.
• Pass the ball with the foot, controlling strength.
• Match breathing with a partner.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Soft balls: 25

Teacher tip

Dim the lights or play soft music if you can. If the ball leaves the pool, they’re pushing too hard: “Slower than a snail.”

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