Whisper Ball Circle
Sitting in a circle, kids roll a soft ball slowly across the floor, and whoever catches it whispers their name and one thing they liked about class. It builds listening, calm and sharing as a group.
How to play
- Seat the group in a circle with legs in a V, feet touching the friends on each side (20 sec).
- Whisper: "This ball can only hear whisper voices." Roll it slowly to a child while making eye contact.
- The child who gets it hugs it, whispers their name and one thing they liked, like "Emma, jumping," and rolls it to someone else (2 min).
- Before rolling, they look at the friend they're sending it to and wait for that friend to look back.
- Once everyone has had a turn, do a final round passing it hand to hand around the circle in total silence (1 min).
- Finish by hugging the ball and whispering: "Thanks, everyone. We're leaving calm."
Rules
- Only the child holding the ball talks, and only in a whisper.
- Roll the ball on the floor; never throw it.
- Look at the friend you're sending the ball to.
- If someone doesn't want to talk, they hug the ball and pass it on.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, they just whisper their name when they get the ball.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, they say their name and one thing they liked.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, they say the name of the friend they're rolling to and something nice that friend did today.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the child receives the ball on their lap or chair tray and pushes it with one hand.
- Shy kids or autism: the child can pass without talking, or point to a picture card of an activity.
- Skill level: good rollers send it across the circle; kids who can't aim yet pass it to the friend next to them.
Learning goals
- Listen to classmates quietly and carefully.
- Share an experience in a few words.
- End class in a calm, kind mood.
Equipment for a class of 25
- soft ball: 1
Teacher tip
Go first with a very short example so they copy it. If the circle is big, make two circles with an adult in each so no one waits too long.
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