Ball Skills - Lesson 6

In the sixth lesson of the Reception Ball Skills series, young learners are given the opportunity to develop their ability to strike an object using various parts of their body. The lesson's learning objectives are clear: pupils should be able to keep an object up in the air using their hands, kick a ball accurately, and move a ball with a racket. To achieve these goals, a range of equipment is employed, including tennis balls, plastic tennis rackets, cones, balloons, and large balls. The session starts with a warm-up where children use tennis rackets to steer balls around the floor, incorporating fun 'traffic light' commands to vary the pace and direction. This activity emphasises key teaching points such as looking into space, bending knees, and gently pushing the ball with the racket.

As the main part of the lesson unfolds over 30 minutes, students are divided into pairs for 'Balloon Keepy-Ups', taking turns to keep a balloon aloft using different parts of their body, starting with their dominant hand and progressing to their non-dominant hand, feet, and head. This exercise hones their ability to move into position and focus on the balloon. The lesson progresses to kicking a ball through a goal made of cones, where pupils practice aiming and scoring. The session concludes with a cool-down that involves reflective questions, encouraging pupils to consider what they have learned throughout the unit, what they enjoyed the most, and which skills they found to be their strongest and weakest. This thoughtful recap helps to reinforce the skills learned and provides a sense of accomplishment.