Catching Balloons

Having two sons who love balloons, I thought I'd incorporate them into my P.E lesson for Key Stage 1.

With a mixed age class consisting of Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, I noticed that their hand-eye co-ordination and catching skills were poor. I started by pairing children up and giving each pair a balloon which they had to hit to each other. If it touched the floor, the sharks would eat it.

Next I split the group into two teams and stood them either side of a tennis net (or line). The children then played a volleyball style game using the balloon. Adding extra balloons meant nobody was standing still for long. As the balloons fall so slowly, it gives the children more of a chance to hit the 'ball', building confidence, and if it does fall on the floor, they don't spend half the lesson chasing balls.

It was like being at a party and the children loved it so much, they didn't realise they were improving any skills.