Ball Skills - Lesson 3

In the third lesson of ball skills tailored for Reception pupils, the young learners are encouraged to further develop their ball handling abilities, focusing specifically on the skill of bouncing. The lesson objectives are clearly defined, aiming for pupils to roll a ball accurately towards a target or partner, and to bounce and catch a ball both while stationary and on the move. Key vocabulary such as 'rolling', 'throwing', 'bouncing', 'catching', and 'aiming' is introduced, ensuring the children understand the terminology associated with the activities. The lesson requires a variety of equipment including large balls, tennis balls, cones, flat markers, and hoops to facilitate the different exercises.

The session is structured into three segments: warm-up, main activity, and cool down, each lasting 10, 30, and 10 minutes respectively. During the warm-up, pupils work in pairs, rolling a tennis ball to each other with the aim of striking a cone, referred to as a 'planet'. This activity helps them to focus on aiming and controlling the ball. In the main part of the lesson, the pairs continue to work together, taking turns to drop a large ball and catch it after two bounces, with variations and extensions to challenge them further. They also practice bouncing and catching the ball while moving in a straight line across the area. The lesson concludes with 'Ball Freeze', a game where pupils must freeze with the ball in their hands when the teacher turns around. This cool down exercise reinforces the skills practiced throughout the lesson and ends the session on a fun note.