ADA SPORTS, BADMINTON & TENNIS
2925 CHRYSLER ROAD
KANSAS CITY, KS. 66115
800-234-0460
FAX: 913-371-2663
“Fostering Critical and Creative Thinking Skills in PE Through the Use of Foam Coated Balls!”
Aerobic fitness warm-up
Everyone please take a ball. Can you find a space for your ball that is only its space? Examine are they in
their own space?
Touch as many different balls as you can in 20 seconds. (You can adjust the time for your population).
Create a sequence of 3 different colored balls, repeat it with new ball (you can adjust this to the number
of balls that you have.)
Now create a sequence that uses different colors and different sizes.
You can add math to the activity. Now you have 20 seconds to touch and add the number found on the
ball (ADA600, ADA700, ADA825).
After 20 seconds you can ask who reached 5,000, 4,000 etc. (Critical and Creative Thinking Insertion
Point…. CCTIP) You can also ask if anyone found an easy way to keep track of their score. Participants in
the workshop found that you could eliminate the 00’s in the smaller balls to facilitate calculating.
Estimate how many points you will accumulate in ____ seconds. Adjust for your grade level.
You can repeat the activity with a partner. One partner adds the numbers while touching the balls and
the other partner is counting the number of balls touched. Have the pair divide the numbers at the end
of the task.
Rainbow Run – you can have students create sequences for the balls they touch. You can also have a
map that you have and as the students go to one ball they come back to you for their next designation.
Your map might be Red 600, Yellow 825, Blue 700, Green 600, Orange 600. As long as you have the
order you can have then start at different points.
Group problem solving with Creative and Critical Thinking
Find a partner and one ball. This is your elbow partner. Hold the ball between your elbows. Now the
class challenge is that you cannot repeat partners, you cannot use the same colored, same sized ball. (If
you had a red 825 ball you need to use any other colored 825 ball or any 700 or 600 ball.) For older
grades add movement to each grouping. I.e.: elbow/elbow -skip, head/head make a circle
Now find a new ball and a new partner. This is your head to head partner. (If you used the blue 600 that
is another cannot use) CCTIP Have music in the background. One song per movement. Do not tell them
Email: [email protected] ~ Website: www.adasportsandrackets.com
ADA SPORTS, BADMINTON & TENNIS
2925 CHRYSLER ROAD
KANSAS CITY, KS. 66115
800-234-0460
FAX: 913-371-2663
that the music is another level for them to remember. At the end, do not say the pairings but simply put
on the music.
The more partners you use the harder the challenge gets for the class. You can establish a lost and found
for students who either do not have partner or needs to use a different ball from the ones that are
available. This is not the student’s responsibility but rather the class’s problem to solve. CCTIP you can
ask guiding questions for the class to try to come up with a solution but please be patient and let them
try on their own.
Super Squish Activities Fitness Activities
Individually take an ADA Super Squish ball chest high between both of your hands.
Compress the ball until it is flat.
Repeat it a few times. CCTIP ask your students how they can make it harder and easier. You can talk
about resistance and how the size of the ball changes that. You can also differentiate instruction by
having multiple sized balls available to them.
You can also do this with a partner, two hands or one. (You can introduce the theory of resistance and
balance) as partners push on one hand or the other. Ask them to reach a balance point pushing both
balls.
Super Squish Thigh Master: Place a ball between the thighs and squeeze. They can use different sizes.
Super Squish Push-Up
One partner gets into a push-up position with a large ADA825 Squish Ball under them. The other partner
can use a finger to balance a small 600 ball on the small of their back. The object is to perform a push-up
with your back straight (thus the ball on it) and touch your chest to the ball under you. The progression
would be to not have the standing partner touch the ball on the back and move from a large ball under
your chest to a small ball under the chin. You can also place smaller balls under each hand for a higher
difficulty level.
Spice Mill Grinder- place one hand on one of the smaller balls and extend your legs straight out. You
want to rotate around in a complete circle. You can make this easier by eliminating the ball under the
hand and more difficult by having the person kick a second ball as they make their circle.
Cooperative Partner Hockey- Face your partner both in push-up positions and try to roll the ball back
and forth to each other as many times as you can. Then have them alternate hands each time they
touch the ball. You can also add another ball.
Email: [email protected] ~ Website: www.adasportsandrackets.com
ADA SPORTS, BADMINTON & TENNIS
2925 CHRYSLER ROAD
KANSAS CITY, KS. 66115
800-234-0460
FAX: 913-371-2663
Planks- Assume a plank position with a small ball under each elbow. You can increase the difficulty by
increasing the size of the ball. The ultimate core work is having different size balls under the elbows.
Super Squish Curl-Ups - Individually bring the ball from a down position, up to a V-seat where you can
take the ball from your feet to your hands. A variation (not done in the workshop) is the Human Teeter
Super Squish Curl-Ups - Individually bring the ball from a down position, up to a V-seat where you can
take the ball from your feet to your hands. A variation (not done in the workshop) is the Human Teeter
Totter. (rolling the ball from your feet to your chest, taking with your hands and replacing on the top of
your ankles.)
Partner V seats- facing your partner, feet to feet, place the ball on top of your ankles, lay down, lift your
legs so the ball rolls down to your chest, sit up, take the ball and perform a chest pass to your partner.
They then repeat the process. To add more of a challenge, have the receiving partner keep their feet off
the ground until they receive the ball. The pass used for this is an overhead pass as in soccer.
In the same position with the ball in your lap, push your arms down and extend them straight to raise
your hips off the ground. The object is to now have your body straight while keeping the ball on your
lap.
Partner Curl-Up- In a down position with partners safely spaced head to head, pick the ball up with your
legs over your head and have your partner take the ball with their feet and return to a down position.
You can also do this as a relay with a group of students in a line.
Varying the sizes of the Super Squish balls you are using can decrease or increase the difficulty of the
above activities. Allow your students to explore with various sizes and ask for their conclusions as to
what was easier/harder and WHY?
Skill work with Super Squish
Self-tossing- Ask students to self-toss a ball. As in the workshops we all threw the ball a really short
distance in the air. CCTIP ask the students how can they gain more time between throws or how can
they give themselves more reaction time. (toss it higher)
Another critical and creative thinking activity to learn or reinforce throwing skills was to have partners
sit on the ground and perform one handed throws to their partner. Then have them go on their knees
and throw. Ask them which was easier, more accurate and what made the first throws different than the
last ones. From here, have them stand up and throw. If they do not add stepping towards their target
then you can insert it.
Also with a partner, toss one ball, focusing on maximizing reaction time.
Email: [email protected] ~ Website: www.adasportsandrackets.com
ADA SPORTS, BADMINTON & TENNIS
2925 CHRYSLER ROAD
KANSAS CITY, KS. 66115
800-234-0460
FAX: 913-371-2663
Add a second ball and then a third. Let them explore how to achieve the goal that no ball touches the
ground. Some will hold a ball some might make certain they time it so one ball is always in transit.
Volleying- With a partner, one person holds their ball. Their partner tosses their ball to them and the
person holding the ball bumps the ball back to their partner.
With a partner or in two lines have a third ball and attempt to bump the third ball from partner to
partner or from line to line. You can make it a class challenge by counting how many can be done
without the third ball touching the ground. You can also add the concept of no double hitting.
You can even play a modified volleyball game using the held balls and a lighter volleyball or beach ball to
hit over the net.
Partners skills can also be performed for kicking the balls back and forth and rolling the balls back and
forth and punting the balls from a close distance back and forth.
Team passing relay
First person in line goes into the field. The next person throws the ball to them. If the ball is caught, then
the entire line moves up. The catcher is now in the front of the line and becomes the thrower. The last
person in line becomes the new catcher. If the ball is not caught the line does not move the rotation is
the same. You can also play where if the ball touches the ground the line must go back to the beginning.
Try it will different size balls.
Bowling/Aerobic bowl
Start with rolling a ball to the canister (pin) in the center of partners. (If you have time I might
start with a student rolling their own ball to their own pin. CCTIP (you can have the students find their
own distances and question them as to how they were able to hit their pins. Distance, size of balls and
speed can all be discussed. Once again, guide them please do not just give them the answers. You can
also let them go back and experiment with some of the things that their classmates said.
You can then join with another group, partners in line on each side and one or two canisters in
the center. One partner rolls the ball and then goes over to the other side (stopping to pick-up the pin if
knocked over). You can do this for a score (how many can you hit in 2 minutes) or for time (go until you
have knocked over ten pins.
The version we did at the workshop was having lines with a roller, a tunnel facing away from the
roller and a catcher. After the roller rolls, they go and become the tunnel, tunnel becomes the catcher
and catcher runs the ball back to the line and goes to the end.
Email: [email protected] ~ Website: www.adasportsandrackets.com
ADA SPORTS, BADMINTON & TENNIS
2925 CHRYSLER ROAD
KANSAS CITY, KS. 66115
800-234-0460
FAX: 913-371-2663
Question Mark Kickball- Using the same
basic formation as above instead of the roller, you have a kicker, instead of a tunnel you have a pitcher.
The other players are in the field in the shape of a question mark with the pitcher as the period. The
pitcher rolls the ball, the kicker kicks the ball ( you can determine a foul line, I usually let them kick it
anywhere over 6 inches. Once the ball is kicked, the kicker runs back and forth to the pitcher and home.
In the field, whoever gets the ball must throw it to the top of the question mark (the person at the
opposite end from the pitcher) the ball is then thrown from each person around the question mark until
the pitcher has it. The pitcher then yells “FREEZE” and the number of times from pitcher to home is the
kickers score. A variation on this would be to have the fielders not able to use their hands.
Game and Group Activities Using Super Squish Balls
Tagging Activities
Super Squish Tag- each student has an ADA Super Squish ball. “IT” is designated by the teacher. ie. If you
have a purple 600 ball you are it, or an orange 825 you are it. The object is to tag (no throwing allowed)
someone with your ball. If tagged the “tagee” tosses their ball up in the air and catches it for 5 throws
and then is free. Taggers are trying to have all students throwing their balls up at the same time. (I’ve
have never seen it happen...hmmmm)
Partner Tag- one person has a ball they must take only their partner. To start the game and after being
tagged you must perform 3 self-tosses over your head before you can chase your partner.
Team “IT” - The “Its” are wearing vests and can only move WITHOUT the ball. The object is for that
team to keep throwing the ball to their players who may be close enough to tag someone. When tagged
the player puts both arms in the air. To be free, 2 different players must give them a high five. As they
receive one they put one arm down, upon the second high five they are free to go.
Freedom Ball- The “its” follow the same rules as above. When a person is tagged they are frozen and can
wave their hands so their teammates can see them. Version 1 is to have any of the non “its” go to the
freedom ball (they cannot move when they are in procession of the freedom ball) and toss it to the
frozen person. Once caught they can simply put the ball down and are free. Version 2 is to have
teammates toss the ball to another free player who can tag the frozen person to free them. Once again
when you have the “it” ball or “freedom Ball” you cannot move.
From “Freedom Ball”, you can introduce ultimate Frisbee or speedball with the same concept of not
moving or limited moving while in procession of the ball/disc.
Group Juggle –small groups form a circle (odd numbers seem to work best).
Email: [email protected] ~ Website: www.adasportsandrackets.com
ADA SPORTS, BADMINTON & TENNIS
2925 CHRYSLER ROAD
KANSAS CITY, KS. 66115
800-234-0460
FAX: 913-371-2663
The instructions are to create a pattern where the ball cannot be passed to someone next to you and no
one may receive the ball twice until everyone has received it.
Can your groups work their way up to one item more than the number of group members????
As they have established a pattern, or sequence, you can add balls. CCTIP (you can stress the need to
communicate for success) The ultimate goal would be to have one more ball than people in the group.
Variations depending on how well your groups are working would be to have one ball always on the
ground, circle to the left while continuing to juggle, circle to the right, and reversal of the pattern.
Nuclear Fusion- With a partner (we used the group version) facing each other, one partner throws their
ADA Super Squish ball towards you.
When the ball gets halfway through the air the, you try to hit their ball with your ADA Super Squish ball.
Your goal is to have both balls return to the thrower.
Nuclear Fusion Group Version- Our version was to have a group in a circle while I threw up a ball and
asked the group to knock my ball out of the air. Toss up the largest ball first see how many attempts it
takes them to hit it out of the air. Proceed to the 7oo and then to the 600 ball. Add up the total number
of tosses up to determine the score. CCTIP (Again a question to ask the class is what size ball is
easier/harder to hit and why)
Music used in the workshop came from Carrie Flint, Musical PE Plus.
Respectfully submitted,
George Blessing
District Coordinator for Health and Physical Education Retired Scarsdale UFSD Scarsdale, NY
Former NYS AHPERD President 1996
Educational Specialist ADA Sports and Rackets, Kansas City, KS
http://[email protected]
Email: [email protected] ~ Website: www.adasportsandrackets.com