Objective
Sequence
domain
Physical Health and Development: Gross-Motor Skills
Although each child’s developmental rate and pattern is unique, the
following is a sequence of skills that children typically develop through
the age of seven years. Use the skill sequences as a general guide when
planning your instruction. The developmental age notations to the left
of each skill provide guidance in selecting the appropriate skill level
and activity for instruction.
• T
o learn and enhance the gross-motor ball skills of kicking,
catching, and rolling and throwing.
RATIONALE
The gross-motor ball skills of kicking, catching, and rolling and throwing
are valuable in several areas of child development. Children learn about
their physical capabilities by engaging in these activities. The movements
of the large muscles that are required for kicking, catching, and rolling
and throwing enhance a child’s balance, agility, hand-eye and foot-eye
coordination. Most children enjoy the feelings of strength and speed that
they gain from ball skills. Balls are generally ideal objects for children to
use to experience what the force of their bodies can do when the balls
are kicked, thrown, or caught.
RELATED SKILLS
Page
Gross-Motor Skills: Standing...............................................................331
Gross-Motor Skills: Walking................................................................335
Gross-Motor Skills: Jumping and Hopping..........................................341
353 BRIGANCE® Readiness Activities
DEVELOPMENTAL SEQUENCE OF PREREQUISITE BALL SKILLS
1-0Rolls a playground ball back and forth in a game while
in a sitting position.
Hurls a tennis ball.
1-6Rolls playground ball by pushing foot against it without losing
balance (no backward swing).
2-0Kicks, flexing lower leg on backward swing and with very little
or no arm opposition (movement).
Walks up and kicks a stationary playground ball.
Throws a ball with both hands from an overhead position.
Throws a playground ball by holding the ball above the shoulders,
using almost exclusive arm movements, with no change in feet
position and with little or no body rotation.
Gross-Motor Skills Ball Skills (Kicking, Catching, Rolling, and Throwing)
Physical Health and Development
Ball Skills (Kicking, Catching, Rolling, and Throwing)
354 BRIGANCE® Readiness Activities
Gross-Motor Skills Ball Skills (Kicking, Catching, Rolling, and Throwing)
Physical Health and Development
DEVELOPMENTAL SEQUENCE OF BALL SKILLS
3-0Kicks playground ball with a definite backward and forward leg swing,
and with definite arm opposition (movement).
Catches a bounced playground ball by “hugging” it to the body.
Catches a bounced playground ball with hands and chest.
Catches a thrown playground ball by “scooping” under the ball
and trapping it to the chest.
Catches a bounced playground ball with both hands.
Throws a ball with both hands from an overhead position.
Throws a playground ball by holding the ball above the shoulders,
using almost exclusive arm movement, with no change in feet
position and with little or no body rotation.
4-0Does a coordinated kick with good backward and forward leg swing,
arm opposition (movement), and follow-through.
Catches a thrown playground ball with hands and chest.
Catches a thrown playground ball with both hands and with
arms extended.
Throws a tennis ball a distance of 10' (3 m).
Throws a ball from a position in back of the head, with horizontal
rotation of the body, and with feet stationary.
Bounces playground ball two or more times with both hands.
5-0Takes two or more coordinated steps and kicks a playground ball.
Catches a bounced tennis ball with both hands.
Throws a ball from a position in back of the head, with body rotation
and with a forward step.
Throws a tennis ball a distance of 20' (6 m).
Bounces playground ball with one hand a distance of 6' or 7' (2 m)
and catches it with both hands.
Bounces tennis ball once and catches it with both hands.
6-0Runs forward and kicks a rolled playground ball.
Catches a thrown tennis ball with both hands.
Catches a thrown tennis ball with one hand.
Throws with a mature or skilled form: shifts weight as body is rotated
in preparation for throwing, with horizontal adduction of the arm,
and follow-through as the elbow extends.
With dominant hand, bounces a tennis ball, taps it at least twice,
and catches it.7-0
Tips for Teaching Rolling, Catching, and Throwing
Use a step-by-step approach:
• Have the child push a ball with her foot so it rolls. Watch to see if she
can maintain balance. Provide help if needed.
• Have the child swing the lower part of her leg backward, from the knee
down. Have the child move her foot forward and hit the ball with her
foot. If necessary, you can gently hold the child’s leg to move her leg
and foot through this kicking motion.
• Have the child take two or more steps toward the ball and make contact
by kicking it. The child should retain her balance and not use arm
movements.
ROLLING
Do the following:
• Have the child sit across from you with legs outstretched.
• Roll the ball to the child by using a gentle, pushing motion.
• Have the child roll the ball back to you.
Advanced Kicking:
Have the child use a definite backward and forward leg swing and definite
arm movement as she kicks the ball, while retaining her balance.
NOTE: What follows is a coordinated kick with backward and forward leg
swing, arm opposition, and follow-through. The leg should remain straight
and stiff.
Motion and Kicking:
Place the ball a few steps in front of the child’s dominant foot. Have her
walk forward and kick the ball with enough force to move the ball at least
one yard (1 m), while retaining her balance.
Running and Kicking:
Stand approximately 20’ (6 m) in front of the child and roll the ball gently
toward her. Tell her to run toward the ball and kick it so it goes at least
10’ (3 m) in the opposite direction.
CATCHING
Do the following:
• Freestyle Ball Play Invite children to roll, toss, bounce, and experiment
with the ball in a freestyle matter.
• How to Begin Use a medium-sized, lightweight ball. Stand about a foot
away from the child and gently toss the ball toward the center of the
child’s trunk, avoiding her face.
• Trapping the Ball Demonstrate how to trap the ball using your chest
and arms. Then show her how to grasp the ball and hug it to her body.
When the child is comfortable, show her how to stretch out her arms
and grasp the ball as it comes toward her.
• Catching Distances: As the child gains proficiency, gradually stand
farther and farther away and use a firmer, smaller ball.
• Bounce and Catch When the child has mastered the skill of catching,
stand and gently bounce the ball toward her. After she catches it,
have her bounce it back to you.
HINTS:
• Limit playing time if children lose patience with fetching the ball.
• Vary the objects by using beach balls, foam balls, yarn balls, beanbags,
rolled up socks, and tennis balls.
THROWING
• When the child is ready, have him hurl a tennis ball. A hurl is an
uncoordinated throw. It is likely that the child will not follow it visually
or be able to aim it. Make certain that other children are out of the ball’s
potential range.
• Demonstrate how to hold a ball in both hands, and show the child
how to raise his hands over his head to throw the ball.
• Show the child how to hold a ball above his shoulders and then,
using only arm movements, throw the ball.
• When the child is ready, model how to shift his body weight and rotate
his body in preparation for throwing.
355 BRIGANCE® Readiness Activities
Gross-Motor Skills Ball Skills (Kicking, Catching, Rolling, and Throwing)
Physical Health and Development
Tips for Teaching Kicking
Ball Skills
1. Busy Hands and Feet
Materials:
• A soft rubber ball for each child.
• Tapes or CDs.
• A tape/CD player. Music is optional, but is more fun for the children.
Group Size: Small group or class.
Procedure: Demonstrate each activity before you have the children try it.
• Have the children hold the ball in front of them and try to kick one
foot up to touch the ball. Have them repeat several times with
the dominant foot, and then try with the other foot.
• Have the children stand with their feet in a wide stride position
and have them put the ball on the floor in front of one foot. Next,
have the children roll the ball back and forth from one foot to
the other as quickly as they can.
• Have the children stand, holding their feet together. Using their
hands, have them roll the ball around their feet as quickly as possible.
• Have the children hold the ball high, low, left, and right. Making
these movements to the beat of the music will make them more
engaging for the children.
• Have the children pretend the ball is a giant marker they can use
to draw circles, squares, straight lines, squiggly lines, or curves.
2. Boot It and Blast Off!
Materials: One ball for each child.
Group Size: Small group or class.
Procedure: Do the following:
• Give each child a ball and have the children line up side by side.
• Have each child place his ball on the floor in front of him.
• When you say “Boot it!” each child kicks his ball as far as he can.
• When you say “Blast off!” the children run after the balls. Tell
children they can retrieve any ball. Have each child pick up a ball
and return to play again.
VARIATIONS: Have each child drop kick his ball or use alternate feet
for kicking. Personalize the game by giving each child a colored,
numbered, or lettered ball that she can call her own and retrieve
after she has kicked it.
3. Color Catch
Materials: A playground ball.
Group Size: Small group or class.
Procedure: Do the following:
• Choose one child to be the caller.
• Assign a color to each of the other children and have them stand,
scattered around the caller.
• Have the caller throw the ball high in the air and call out a color
name. The child assigned that color runs forward and tries to catch
the ball.
• Have the other children run as far away as they can from the child
catching the ball. All of the children must stop running when
the ball is caught, and the catcher calls, “Stop.”
• The catcher takes three giant steps toward the child nearest him
and bowls the ball toward that child.
• The child to whom the ball is “bowled” becomes the caller
and play resumes.
VARIATION: Substitute animal names, numbers, or letters for
color names.
356 BRIGANCE® Readiness Activities
Gross-Motor Skills Ball Skills (Kicking, Catching, Rolling, and Throwing)
Physical Health and Development
Teaching Activities
Materials:
• Several tennis balls.
• Several stackable items, such as clean empty cans, traffic cones,
plastic buckets, or lightweight blocks.
Group Size: Class.
Procedure: Create three stacks of cans at one end of the playing area.
Then do the following:
• Divide the children into three equal groups.
• Have each group line up about 20' (10 m) from one of the stacks
of cans.
• Give the first child in each line three tennis balls and have her throw
them at the stack of cans to knock them over.
• After throwing, the child runs and restacks the cans, if necessary.
She then gathers the tennis balls and gives them to the next child
in line to continue the game.
VARIATION: Use this activity to practice kicking skills. Instead of
throwing tennis balls, have the children kick playground balls toward
the stacked items.
5.Push It, Partner!
Materials: A ball for each pair of children.
Group Size: Small group or class.
Procedure: Do the following:
• Divide the group into pairs.
• Have the pairs face each other and maintain a distance of two
to three feet apart.
• Give one child in each pair a ball.
• Have the child put the ball on the ground and use his hand to hit it
to his partner.
• Ask the partner to catch the ball and then hit it back to the first child.
VARIATION:
• Have the child use his opposite hand to push the ball to his partner.
• Have the child turn his back and push the ball through his legs.
• Have the child use his opposite hand to push the ball through his legs.
357 BRIGANCE® Readiness Activities
6. Wonder Ball
Materials: A small playground ball or tennis ball.
Group Size: Small group or class.
Procedure: Have children sit or stand in a circle. As the children
pass the ball around the circle, they chant:
The wonder ball goes round and round.
Don’t drop it and don’t make a sound.
If you’re the one to hold it last,
The game for you is surely past!
On the word past, the child who is holding the ball gets up, runs
around the circle, and returns to her original place in the circle.
She then begins passing the ball while the chant starts over.
7. Ball and Hoop Relay
Materials:
• Playground balls: One per team.
• Hula hoops: Three to seven hoops per team.
Group Size: Small group or class.
Procedure: Lay the hula hoops in three straight lines on the floor.
Then do the following:
• Divide the group into three teams.
• Have each team line up in front of a line of hoops.
• Give the first child in each line a ball.
• At a signal, the first child on each team runs to the first hoop,
then bounces and catches the ball inside the hoop.
• The child then moves to the next hoop, then bounces and catches
the ball.
• When the child has bounced the ball in each hoop, the child runs
back to her line. Then she passes the ball to the next child in line.
• The team that finishes first wins.
VARIATION: Place the hoops in increasingly difficult arrangements.
Gross-Motor Skills Ball Skills (Kicking, Catching, Rolling, and Throwing)
Physical Health and Development
4.Knock ’Em Down
8.Stop That Ball!
Materials: Several rubber playground balls.
Group Size: Small group or class.
Procedure: Do the following:
• Stand in the middle of an open area.
• Have the children hold hands and form a circle around you.
• Have each child widen his stance so that the side of each foot
touches the side of the foot of the child next to him.
• Have the children put their hands on their knees.
• Try to roll the ball between each child’s parted feet. Tell the children
to use their hands to stop the ball from rolling between their feet.
• If a child misses and the ball passes between his feet, he retrieves
the ball and tosses it back to you.
HINT: Children tend to step forward and therefore shrink the circle
as the game progresses, so from time to time, have them take a few
steps backward to enlarge the circle.
358 BRIGANCE® Readiness Activities
Gross-Motor Skills Ball Skills (Kicking, Catching, Rolling, and Throwing)
Physical Health and Development
VARIATION: As children become adept at this game, roll several
balls in succession so that many children are trying to stop balls
at the same time.