Contributor:
Kelly Williams
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 coordination and catching skills were poor. I started by pairing children up and giving each pair a balloon which they used to hit each other. If it touched the floor, the sharks would eat it.
Next, I split the group into two teams and stood them on 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.