Games 2 - Lesson 4

In the fourth lesson of the Year 2 Games 2 series, the primary objective is to enable children to send and receive a ball using a tennis racket with control. To achieve this, the lesson is structured around a series of activities that focus on the development of essential skills such as the correct grip of the racket, coordination, and balance. The lesson begins with a warm-up where each child balances a ball on their racket while moving around a designated area, earning points for maintaining control. The key teaching point emphasises the importance of keeping the racket face up and maintaining a 'V shape' grip, which involves the thumb and first finger. As the warm-up progresses, children are encouraged to increase their pace and try balancing the racket with their non-dominant hand, adding a layer of challenge and variation to the activity.

The main part of the lesson involves creating mini tennis courts using cones and a skipping rope to simulate a net. Children work in pairs, with one child sending a ball over the net with an underarm throw while the other child uses the racket to hit the ball back after a single bounce. The activity focuses on teaching children to watch the ball closely and hit it from a side-on position. As the lesson progresses, the children form groups of four for a modified game where they aim to score points by preventing the opposing pair from catching the ball after one bounce. The lesson concludes with a cool down activity called 'Land In The Hoop', where children practice hitting the ball to land it in a hoop, rotating roles between being the sender and the receiver. Throughout the lesson, there are opportunities for extension and variation, such as increasing the court size or the number of bounces allowed, to cater to different skill levels and keep the activities engaging.