Kids love playing with ball, throwing them around, kicking them and bouncing them. Add some variation to regular tossing, with some innovative ball games. While perfecting many skills like concentration, hand eye coordination, your kid will have a ball!
Depending on your child’s skill level, you can modify the game. For example, use basketballs, ping pong balls, soccer balls. Also you can increase the distance between you and your kid. And all this, while giving lots of praise and encouragement for a good effort.
#1 Clean it up
This is a simple and effective game using a ball. Buy a $2 ball from Daiso. Hand over the beach ball and washable markers to your toddler, and let him get creative! Let him decorate it, and then ‘bathe’ the ball, washing off the markers. It is a fun activity and will keep the toddler engaged for a while.
#2 Fly swatter hockey
How about turning one of the rooms into a hockey field. Save two cardboard boxes to use them as goal posts. Use the fly swatter as a hockey stick to swat the ball into your goal. Simple and super fun!
#3 Bowling
How about setting up a bowling alley at home. Save the beer cans from your Saturday night party. Clean them and ensure there are no sharp edges. Line them up against a wall, and ask your little one to knock them down with a ball. It’s a treat watching your toddler squeal with delight, as he knocks down those beer cans! You can try the game with Yakult bottles too.
#4 Ball through the hoop
Have a hula-hoop sitting around at home. Hold it slightly higher than your toddler can reach. Ask him to shoot the ball into the hula-hoop. This is easy for little ones, as aiming is so much easier, given the width of the hula-hoop ring. With a slightly older kid, you can take turns in holding the hoop while the other shoots.
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#5 Sing a ball song
Kids love playing silly. How about singing a silly ball song, while running around the room. “The Ball on the Bus Goes Round and Round.” You can get inventive with songs. For example, “When you’re happy and you know it bounce your ball…toss it up…dribble it around etc”.
#6 Through the tunnel
This is an absolute favourite among toddlers. Mommy can stand with her feet wide, and form a tunnel with her legs. Ask your toddler to kick the ball inside the tunnel. Your little one will love to see you involved in the game, and enjoy all the hits and misses.
#7 Bouncy Bouncy
Another easy game to play with a ball is continuous bouncing. Little ones will probably struggle, but the older kids will love doing this themselves. However, while you rapidly bounce the ball, little ones will enjoy just watching you. Its just one of those games that makes them laugh.
#8 Ball toss
Set up a ball toss station. What we mean is use different objects around the house to throw a ball into. For example, a laundry basket, old carton or large buckets. Ask your little ones to aim to throw these inside the basket or bucket. This will exhaust your little one, as he runs around collecting the balls that he aims wrongly.
#9 Simple rolling
Rolling is by far one of the best activities to learn turn taking, concentration and hand-eye coordination. So sit across your child, on a floor and roll the ball to each other. Play ‘Roll that Red Ball’ song in the background, and keep the environment super lively!
Daddies, how do you entertain your little ones with a ball. Share with us some ball games you have invented!