Ball Skills - Lesson 5

In the Nursery Ball Skills Lesson 5, young learners are set to develop their ability to throw and catch balls of various sizes with both control and accuracy. The lesson's learning objectives are clear: pupils should be able to catch and throw a large ball confidently. The success criteria are straightforward, with the expectation that pupils can catch a large ball and throw one as well. Key vocabulary for the lesson includes terms such as 'catch', 'throw', 'two-handed catch', and 'step forward'. Essential equipment for the activities includes bean bags, large soft balls, and tennis balls or other sized balls to offer a range of challenges.

The lesson is structured into three segments, starting with a five-minute warm-up game called 'Stuck in the Mud', where some children act as 'stuckers' and 'stuck' their peers, who then need to be released by others crawling through their legs. The main part of the lesson lasts 15 minutes and involves two activities: firstly, pupils practice throwing a large ball into the air and catching it with both hands, with the option to add a clap between the throw and catch to extend the challenge. Secondly, pupils work in pairs to practice underarm throws aimed at their partner's chest, with the distance between partners gradually increasing. The lesson concludes with a five-minute cool-down called 'Exit Pass', where pupils form a circle and take turns catching and throwing a large ball with the teacher before sitting down, varying the distance and using different objects to throw to adapt to the pupils' catching abilities.