Ball Games for Kids

Required: Open field or gym and Fun Gripper Handball (6″ Soccer Ball)
Players: Medium to large groups

Set up two throwers so that each one will stand at an end zone and one will have a handball. Have all players at one of the end zones and they must run to the other end zone without getting hit by the ball.

The throwers will toss the ball back and forth until someone runs. The thrower with the ball at that time will try to hit the runner or runners. Any runner hit by the ball is out. The runners will again run to the other end zone once all runners have made it. All throws should be below the chest or make wild players throw underhanded. The last two runners are the winners and new throwers.

Required: Sticks, ball, sandy area
Players: Small groups

This game is for a small group of 5-8 players. In a line have one small hole for each player and on the backside of the hole, one stick for each player. Instruct the players that they cannot run outside of the designated play area. Pick one player to be the ball roller. That person will roll the ball toward one of the sticks trying not to roll it into the hole. If the ball rolls into the hole the roller will receive one more stick onto his assigned pile. They will add one stick and then pick up the ball and try to hit any player. When it rolls past the holes towards a stick, the player that has been assigned the stick will pick up the ball and try to hit one of the other players that are running around within the designated circle. If they hit a player with their one throw, the player that was hit has to add one more stick to their pile. If the thrower misses they have to add a stick to their own pile. When you have 5 sticks in your pile you are out of the game. Ball throwers are not allowed to move once they pick up the ball and must hit players below the waist. The last player is the winner.

Required: Open field or gym and Fun Gripper Handball (6″ Soccer Ball)
Players: Medium to large groups

Choose 2-4 throwers to stand on the sidelines across from each other with 2-3 balls, all balls should be on one side at a time. Players will line up at one end of the play area and they are to run to the other end of the field. If any player is hit they are out and can go to the sideline to become an additional thrower. Once all runners have come through have them go back again. Only run them one direction at a time to prevent injury. All throws should be below the chest or make wild players throw underhanded. The last person or two are the winners.

Required: Fun Gripper Baseball or Splash Water Bombs
Players: Medium to large groups

You will need ball that is soft. Choose one person out of the group to be the “Caller”. The caller will give a special command to the group. I usually start with a regular toss and catch. The rest of the people who are spread out around the room then toss and catch the ball to one and another, silently (hence the name, Silent Dynamite.) If a person talks during the game that person has to go in the middle. The caller can change the command at any time. Examples of commands are: Catch with elbows, catch with thumbs, throw with your opposite hand, spin around 3 times before throwing etc. When a person playing cannot complete the task and drops the ball that person stands or sits in the middle. The people in the middle can try to swat down or catch the ball. If a person successfully catches the ball they can get back into the game. The game is over when there is only one person left in the game.

Submitted by Allison, Minnesota

Required: Fun Gripper Soccer Ball, 2 liter pop bottles
Players: Small to medium groups

Have the kids set up about 10 empty plastic 2 liter pop bottles on a flat surface. Each player gets two tries at knocking the cans down at about 20 feet away. If one player knocks all the bottles down within his two shots he gets another turn to add to his score. The total amount of bottles they knock down gets added to their score. You can go up to 10 complete turns and the person with the highest score wins. If played outside on the sidewalk use chalk to write down their score. This is a great game for kids to practice addition in their heads.

Required: Fun Gripper Volleyball, Fun Gripper Soccer Ball or soft dodge ball
Players: Small groups

Players are huddled around as one person throws the ball into the air. The person throwing the ball is to shout out someones name. The person that was called is to get the ball and shout, . freeze!. before the other players run away. The person with the ball is to gently try to hit any player. If a person is hit they are assigned a letter starting with S from the word Spud. If the person throwing the ball misses then they are assigned a letter. The targeted player will be the one to throw the ball. Once a player has been given all the letters to spell SPUD, they are out of the game.

Required: Large 36″ Fun Gripper Soccer Ball, large play area and optional blindfolds
Players: Small to medium groups

Mark off a 12 ft by 12 ft play area in the grass for the game or on the floor if playing indoors. Place one 36″ Fun Gripper Soccer Ball in the middle of the large squared play area. Divide up players into 4 teams. Each team will be assigned one of the sides of the square and one player from each team will enter the play area. The players will try to push the large ball across the line on their side of the play area. They will do this without their hands so have those hands behind their backs and they are not allowed to kick the ball. They are to only use their shoulders and head to move the ball. The first player to get the ball across their side scores one point for his/her team. The next player in each team will do the same and the team with the most points wins. For older players you can blindfold the players and they will have to rely on their team for directions. You can also vary this game by making the players move the ball while in the crab walk position.

Created by R. Scheel, Fun-Attic, Inc.

Required: Play area, chalk and ball
Players: Small to medium groups

Mark off a play area six-foot square with chalk, and then evenly divide that square into four squares. Have a child stand in each square with one child holding the ball. The one with the ball will bounce the ball once in his square then tap it into another players square. The player in that square must tap the ball into another players square, after it bounced once into his square. If the ball bounces more than once into someone’s square, they are out of the game and either the square is left empty or you rotate a new player. If your volley goes out of the play area before bouncing in the grid, you’re out. If your volley goes into a square where there is no player, you’re also out.

Required: Open field or gym and Fun Gripper Handball (6″ Soccer Ball)
Players: Medium to large Groups

Note: This is the #2 sport in the entire world! (Yes, only soccer is bigger)

Choose a ball that players can hold with one hand and that will bounce. Divide your players into two equal teams. If you play by the official rules you would have six field players and one goal for each team on the field.

For play area see diagram for better detail. Set up a play area around 40 X 90 with a dividing line in the center. Both ends will have a goal in the center that is 10 feet wide about 2 feet deep behind the end boundaries. Mark off from the center of the end boundary a 20-foot half circle. Within this marked area will be known as the goalie area. In front of that area centered with the goal, mark off a 10-foot penalty throw line 5 feet away from goalie line. Mark off 5 feet from that or 30 feet from goal in a half circle the free throw line.

Have the teams spread out on their part of the field with goalies in position. Start the game with a “throw-on”; this is also done after each goal. The object of the game is to move the ball down the field towards to opponent’s goal. Players can do this by running with it, or using a series of throws and catches until the ball can be thrown into the goal to score a point. Each player is allowed to hold the ball for three seconds or three steps. You can advance with the ball three more steps if you dribble the ball. You are not allowed to kick the ball or this will result in a free throw for the other team from where this violation took place. You cannot hold, hit, trip, or push any player or this will result in a foul awarded with a free shot from where the foul occurred. The defensive player can closely guard and obstruct the progress of the opposite team.

If theball goes out of bounds it is thrown-in by the team that did NOT touch it last and defender must be 10 feet away. A goal throw-in occurs after a goal is made by the opposite team, in which case the goalie throws the ball in from anywhere within the goal area. While the goalie throws-in the ball, the defensive player can assist but must stand 10 feet away and the offensive players must stand behind the free throw line. A free throw will occur if a player enters the goal area or if the goal makes an error. A penalty throw occurs when there is a foul. Fouls arewhen the opponent stops a clean chance for a goal or when a player throws the ball to their own goalie. When this happens all players expect the goalie and thrower must stand behind the free throw line.

The goalie can move anywhere inside the goal area but cannot leave the goal area with the ball. The goalie can step out of the goal area without the ball and become a player but cannot re-enter the goal area with the ball. The field player cannot throw the ball to their own goalie while they’re in the goal area.

Team Handball is the #2 sport in the world; it originated in Europe in the early 1900’s. The US has not dominated this sport and has high hopes of moving up in the rankings. The US Handball Men’s Team goal is to be in the top 10 in the world by the year 2008. The US Handball Women’s Team goal is to be in the top 10 in the world by the year 2012. For more information on US Team Handball see http://www.usateamhandball.org/

Required: Fun Gripper Volley or Soccer balls, large play area
Players: Large groups

You need a large running area. Outside playground, gym, or open classroom works great. You need a soft throwing ball, safe for throwing at children. I occasionally throw in a punch by adding another ball for the challenge. Children ages 5-12 are best for this activity. The game starts when one person throws the ball up. The rest of the children are either running from the direction it is thrown or trying to catch the ball. The object is to eliminate players by hitting them with the ball. (Be sure to hit them in a safe area. My NO zones are the head unless they duck and the private areas.) Okay here we go. One person catches the ball for a serve. He then can only take three steps toward another player and throw the ball at him. If the player is hit they are out and must sit where they were hit by the ball. They can tag others that run by them but they must be sitting flat on their bottom while tagging. They can also throw the ball if it comes close enough to them without moving. If the opposing player takes more than three steps we do not count it out, it was an area of argument too many times trying to prove who was right? The game continues in this manner until two players remain at which time the play area is made smaller until the game is done with one victorious.

Submitted by Lenora Davis

Remember – The object is for everyone to have fun. The moderator is the all-powerful dictator. You may at any time change the rules or boundaries or handicap players to help balance out the wide spectrum of abilities. We want the tentative athlete and the superjock to play together at the best of their abilities.

Have Fun! ?

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