Level 1 they can take the ball back to their “goal”. Level 2 the second ball will eventually hit the motionless ball or I’ll walk by and give it to them. They can go to the ball but that is bad strategy because they will probably get scored on by the other ball.
It honestly depends on your kids that you are playing with. I have played this game a lot and no one has ever been injured. 1. I make sure the kids are on a poly spot, so that they are not to close to other students during level five. 2. I make sure every student is slapping the ball and not throwing it. 3. Start with one ball on level 5 to make sure everyone is following the rules. 4. Take away multiple balls if students are not being safe. 5. Decrease the amount of students in the middle if you think they might run into each other. I designed this lesson to gradually increase something if students are understanding and doing well. These are just a few safety measures that I use, but honestly it depends on your teaching style and students. If it doesn't work for you then try to modify it for you and your environment.
Is the ball allowed to be bounced or is the slap only rolling on the ground? I tried it just by rolling the slapped ball but it was hard for k-1 to slap the rolling ball hard enough!
My first graders can slap it hard enough. Maybe move the circle closer for levels 1-2 if still having trouble. For levels 3-5 it will be harder for them to aim, but they should have the power. I normally add a lot more students in the middle. This way there are more targets and chances. Sometimes I have as many as 6 1st grade students and it works out better for them.
When someone gets hit in the middle with 2 others in there ( level 4 or 5), do you stop the game and let the switch happen? Then restart? What is the purpose of the points? Thank you
The game continues to go and does not stop. If a person gets hit in the middle I have them raise their hand so no one can hit them. If someone hits them while their hand is raised it doesn’t count. I also have the person who hit them raise their hand. The player in the middle will go find the person raising their hand and they give each other a high five to switch while the others are playing. The points are for the lower levels. That’s only if you get a ball past them. You don’t get points in the upper levels. You just get the joy of getting the chance to be in the middle the longest or most. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions!
2 things: 1. Some kids will try to punch the ball. If they try to punch it then their knuckles can scrap on the blacktop. (This is my main reason for slapping) 2. I want them to do a controlled strike. If they just punch it then they don’t aim as much in comparison to slapping it with their hand. Once they master slapping it I give them pickle-ball paddles to play the game with after. Hope this answers your question!
I use the 8 in dodgeball. You can use volleyballs too if you don’t have big dodgeballs. They work just as well, but they’re not color coordinated. When the balls are color coordinated it helps with the game.
