Wall Toss and Shuffle

Each student stands 6-10 feet from a wall, tosses a tennis ball against it, and side-shuffles between two cones before catching it. It warms up the shoulders and legs and improves hand-eye coordination and foot speed in a small space.

How to play

1. Spread students along a wall, each with a ball and two cones about 5 feet to either side, with 10 feet between students.
2. Minutes 0-2: easy one-hand tosses against the wall and catches with the same hand, first right and then left; shoulder circles between sets.
3. Minutes 2-4: toss, shuffle to touch a cone, come back, and catch after one bounce.
4. Minutes 4-6: toss and catch on the fly, alternating right and left cones; count consecutive catches.
5. Minutes 6-7: throw with the non-dominant hand and catch with the dominant one, then switch.
6. Minutes 7-8: 30-second challenge: as many catches as possible without a drop.

Rules

• Throw only at your own section of wall, never at a classmate's.
• Throw at medium power so the rebound stays below head height.
• If the ball gets away, wait for your neighbor to finish their throw before retrieving it.
• Use a smooth wall with no windows nearby.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the student throws and catches from the wheelchair with a bigger ball and no shuffle.
• Visual impairment: use a large, brightly colored ball and catch after a bounce for more time.
• Lower coordination: use a bigger foam ball and stand 5 feet from the wall.

Learning goals

• Warm up the shoulders and legs with throws and side shuffles.
• Improve hand-eye coordination with both hands.
• Time the footwork to the flight of the ball.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tennis balls: 25
• cones: 50

Teacher tip

This is a very useful warm-up before racket sports or softball. If you're short on tennis balls, rubber balls work; assign wall space before starting.

More activities like this

More warm-ups for Middle School