Waking the Ball with Our Feet

The ball is asleep, and children wake it up with the soles of their feet: they stroke it, roll it back and forth and give it little taps. It builds one-foot balance and fine ball control.

How to play

1. Standing with a sleeping ball in front of you, tickle it with the sole of your foot (1 min).
2. Roll it forward and back with your sole, first one foot, then the other (1 min).
3. Roll it side to side like a windshield wiper (1 min).
4. Tap it with alternating feet, like dancing on top of it (1 min).
5. The ball is awake: rest your foot gently on it and balance while we count to three (1 min).

Rules

• I touch the ball gently, no squishing.
• If I wobble, I put my foot down and keep going.
• The ball stays close to me.
• We use both feet.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: sitting on a chair, roll the ball with a foot or hand.
• Poor balance: do it with the back against a wall.
• Visual impairment: use a ball with a bell and name each movement while touching it.

Learning goals

• Control the ball with the sole of the foot.
• Balance on one foot.
• Use both feet.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Soft balls: 25

Teacher tip

Works great barefoot on mats or in the classroom. Talk softly, as if the ball were still half asleep: it lowers the group's volume.

More activities like this

More warm-ups for Elementary