Ball Skills - Lesson 4

Lesson 4 of the Reception Ball Skills series focuses on developing underarm throwing accuracy in young pupils. The learning objectives are clear: pupils should be able to slide a beanbag across the floor, stop and collect a moving object, and aim while judging the correct speed. Key vocabulary for this lesson includes terms such as "throwing," "underarm," "low," "sliding," "aiming," and "speed." To facilitate these activities, the required equipment is simple and comprises beanbags and cones. The session begins with a 10-minute warm-up called 'Follow the Leader', where pupils are divided into groups of four and mimic the actions of a leader, such as walking, jogging, and sidestepping. This exercise helps them focus on looking ahead, controlling their speed, and listening to commands.

The main part of the lesson, lasting 30 minutes, involves two activities. 'Slide It!' pairs pupils up to practice underarm sliding a beanbag through a gate formed by cones, focusing on technique such as using one hand, bending knees, and following through towards the target. The second activity, 'Sliding Games', groups pupils for different games like Bowling and Tunnels, where they work on sliding beanbags to hit cones or pass through tunnels formed by their classmates' legs. The lesson concludes with a 10-minute cool-down activity named 'Stars', where students slide beanbags through the legs of their classmates and collect them on the other side, reinforcing the day's learning on sliding objects with control and precision.