Have a Ball and Be a Friend
Blue’s favorite toy is a ball! Blue knows that balls are fun to chase, roll, and hide! They’re also the perfect toy to use with a friend.
An activity as simple as passing a ball back and forth can help your child practice skills like taking turns, focusing on another person, and working cooperatively.
Children start working on these skills from birth — long before they start thinking about friendship (typically between two and three years old). The skills your child can learn by playing with balls can take years to perfect — so keep practicing and having a ball!
Parent/Caregiver Tip: Playing with a ball can help your child learn to take turns, listen, and play cooperatively. This can help them become a better friend — while also gaining communication skills, empathy, focus, and even improving self-regulation! Balls might be the least fancy and most effective teaching tools in history!
Materials
- A ball
Instructions
- Let’s sit on the floor facing one another.
- I’ll roll a ball to you, and say, “Your turn!” It’s your turn to catch the ball.
- Then I’ll say, “My turn! Roll the ball to me!” Roll it back to me and I’ll catch it.
- Let’s roll the ball back and forth. We’re taking turns!
Vocabulary
Materials
- A ball
Instructions
- Let’s stand facing each other with a little space between us.
- I’ll roll the ball to you and you roll it back to me. Next, I’ll pass the ball to you with a bounce. Try to catch it! Now bounce the ball back to me. Last, I’ll lightly toss the ball to you and you can toss it back.
- We're ready to play! Hold the ball and listen for my words. I’ll say, “roll,” “toss,” or “bounce” to let you know how to pass the ball to me
- I’ll pass the ball back to you the same way. Let’s keep going!
Vocabulary
Materials
- 2-3 different colored balls
Instructions
- Let’s stand facing each other with some space in between us. We’re going to play catch with these balls. Our goal is to keep the balls moving for as long as possible.
- First, let’s discuss the rules of the game: The first ball can ONLY roll. When we pass it back and forth, we’ll have to ROLL it. The second ball can ONLY bounce. If we’re using 3 balls, the third can only be tossed.
- We’re ready to play! Let’s start by rolling the first ball. Then, let’s introduce the second ball that bounces while we keep rolling the first ball. Can we pass both balls back and forth simultaneously without making a mistake? Remember, our goal is to keep going as long as we can. Let’s work together to beat our record.
