When I'm Not Playing, I Cheer

At two throwing zones only a few children play at a time; the rest wait on the bench as cheerleaders with pom-poms and made-up chants, and roles switch every few minutes. It builds throwing, accepting it's not always my turn and enjoying cheering others on.

How to play

1. Set up two zones: a large box as a basket and a throwing line. Next to each zone, a bench is the cheerleaders' bench (2 min).
2. Teach a made-up cheer: 'Up, up, up the ball goes; down, down, into the box!' with pom-pom moves (2 min).
3. Three children play in each zone, throwing into the box; the others on the bench cheer with pom-poms and clap for every try, in or not (3 min).
4. On the drum, players sit on the bench and hand their pom-pom to a cheerleader, who goes to play (4 min).
5. Keep switching until everyone has played and cheered several times (2 min).
6. To finish, the cheerleaders make a tunnel and everyone walks under the pom-poms (1 min).

Rules

• If I'm on the bench, I cheer for the players.
• We clap for every throw, in or not.
• When the drum sounds, I switch without complaining.
• Cheerleaders stay out of the throwing zone.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: they throw seated from a closer line and cheer with pom-poms from the wheelchair.
• Autism: a board with two pictures (play/cheer) and a movable photo of the child shows which role they're in.
• Hearing impairment: signal the switch by raising the pom-poms high and pair the cheer with gestures.

Learning goals

• Throw at a target with one and two hands.
• Accept waiting for a turn with a positive job.
• Cheer on and value classmates' effort.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Soft balls: 6
• Large boxes: 2
• Paper pom-poms: 12
• Benches: 2
• Hand drum: 1

Teacher tip

Pom-poms take minutes to make from newspaper strips and tape. Celebrate great cheerleading as much as great throws so the bench stops feeling like a punishment.

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