Fundamental Ball Skills

Lesson Overview

• Subject: Physical Education (PE)
• Age Group: Year 1 (Ages 5-6)
• Lesson Duration: 40 minutes
• Class Size: 30 students
• UK Curriculum Alignment: National Curriculum for England – KS1 PE, focusing on mastering basic movements, developing coordination, and engaging in simple ball control activities.
• Lesson Objective: Introduce basic ball-handling skills to develop coordination, balance, and confidence when working with a ball.

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Lesson Structure

1. Warm-up (5 minutes) – Animal Movements

Objective: Prepare the children’s bodies for movement and introduce coordination exercises in a fun way.

• Ask students to move around the space imitating different animals:
  • Rabbit hops 🐇 (jumping softly like a rabbit)
  • Bear walks 🐻 (walking on hands and feet)
  • Cheetah sprints 🐆 (short, fast runs)
  • Flamingo balances 🦩 (standing still on one leg)
• Encourage quick responses—call out movements randomly to keep students engaged.
• Ensure students are aware of personal space while moving around.

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2. Main Activity – Developing Ball Handling Skills (25 minutes)

Part 1 – Ball Familiarisation (7 minutes)

Objective: Help students get comfortable handling a ball.

• Each child has a small, soft ball (e.g., foam or rubber).
• Activities to explore movement with a ball:
  • Rolling the ball around with two hands while sitting.
  • Holding the ball and swaying side to side to improve balance.
  • Gently tossing it up and catching it with both hands.

Part 2 – Rolling Relay (7 minutes)

Objective: Practise directional control and coordination.

• Pair students in lines of 5.
• One child rolls a ball gently to their partner. The partner stops it with their hands or foot, then rolls it back.
• Progression:
  • Encourage accuracy by rolling through small cones.
  • Add a "time challenge" to increase engagement.

Part 3 – Throwing & Catching Exercise (7 minutes)

Objective: Build hand-eye coordination and confidence through basic catching skills.

• Begin with self-throw and catch: Toss the ball a small height and catch it.
• Partner work:
  • Stand 2 metres apart.
  • Underarm throw the ball gently.
  • Ensure "soft hands" when catching.
• Challenge: How many successful catches can they do in 30 seconds?

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3. Cool Down – ‘Ball Sleeping’ (5 minutes)

Objective: Gradually lower heart rate and reflect on lesson skills.

• Children hug their ball and lie down with eyes closed.
• Teacher narrates: "Your ball is going to sleep... can you gently rock it side to side like a sleepy teddy?"
• Gentle breathing exercise: Count inhale for 3 seconds, exhale for 3 seconds.
• Brief discussion: Ask, “What did you enjoy most about today’s activity?”

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Adaptations & Extensions

• For Early Finishers: Challenge them to bounce their ball and catch.
• For Less Confident Learners: Practise with a larger, softer ball for easier handling.
• Space Considerations: If indoors, use beanbags instead of balls to reduce noise.

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Assessment Criteria (Teacher Observations)

• ✅ Are students using both hands to control and hold the ball?
• ✅ Can they roll the ball with direction?
• ✅ Are they attempting to catch using the underarm technique?

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Why This Lesson Works for Year 1

🎉 Engaging & Play-Based – Uses fun games and animal movements.
🧠 Develops Coordination – Focuses on rolling, catching, and basic ball control.
🤝 Encourages Social Skills – Partner-based activities promote teamwork.

This foundation ball skills lesson builds confidence while ensuring children experience success in PE from an early age! ⚽🎾🏀