Best Ball Games for your Children

Ball games are fun, active and hilarious to play. It stimulates gross
motor skills, coordination, team building, play and social skills. There are all kinds of fun and easy games and most of them can be easy adjusted to the child’s age of level.

Did you know that the Potsy game is a very good game that combines
creativity with motor skills? Kids love this game and the rules are
easy.
Check out the other games and have fun playing these ball games with
your children.

MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE

This is a ball game played by three children. Two children stand about
10 feet apart and in between stands the monkey. The two children
on the outside begin a throwing and catching game while the monkey in
the middle tries to intercept the ball any way he or she can.

In this game there are no winners or losers, it’s just about having fun. If you
have more kids you can also play this in teams. Make two equal teams and
give one team something so the players can recognize their team mates.
Then let them pass the ball around while the other team tries to
intercept the ball and the game changes roles.

BALL PUNCH

This is a ball game that can be played by all ages, but you need at
least 5 kids to play. Everybody stands in a circle and the “it” stands
on the outside of the circle. The children in the circle have to pass a
playground ball around by throwing or rolling or bouncing it to the
player on the left. The “it” on the outside tries to intercept the ball
by punching it away while it is being passed. The “it” is not allowed to
hit the ball out of the hands of the children, but should hit the ball while
it is in the air. The one who let the “it” punch the ball becomes the new “it”.

POTSY

This ball game is a variation of hopscotch which stimulates creativity and coordination.
Potsy can be played by any number of children from any age. To begin mark the field by
drawing 10 squares, each about two feet wide, on the ground and define a throwing line.
Write in each square the name of a category that is familiar by all the children, like
vegetables, colors, shapes, animals and so on. Then each player has to
find a rock to toss. The first player tries to toss his rock into the
first square and if he succeeds than he tries to bounce his ball into
the square and before he catches the ball he has to say something aloud
from that category. If the player succeeds he then starts again at the
throwing line and now he tries to throw his pebble into square two. If
that happens he has to bounce his ball into square one, say something
different than at the first turn and catches the ball. He then bounces
his ball into the second square and before catching says something from
that category. The ball game continues like this. The pebble is thrown
into the next square, but the player has to start bouncing and catching
from square one. After every round the player can start throwing his
pebble at the square where he did make an error. The first one who can
make it all the way up to square 10 without a mistake is the winner of
the Potsy ball game.

TEN BALL

This challenging “catch the ball” game combines creativity and motor skills to succeed.
It is played by at least 2 children of any age and all have one tennis ball. The field
is a large wall with a paved area in front of it. The first player has to come up with a
challenge that involves tossing his ball against the wall and catching
it in the air or let it bounce once. While the ball is in the air he has
to use his imagination to do something before catching the ball, like
turn around, make three jumps, clap your hands three times and so on. He
has to perform and succeed first and the other players have to follow
him. Then the next player tosses his ball against the wall and comes up
with another challenge. All the players have copy the challenges and
start at challenge one and then challenge two and so on, till you have
10 challenges. If someone makes a mistake or doesn’t catch the ball in
time, he or she is out of the game. Ten Ball is a very creative and
hilarious throw and catch ball game. Who can come up with the best
challenge? But remember that you have to do it yourself too!

SPUD

Spud is a popular tossing and catching ball game played by at least 4
players or more. One player has the ball and the others gather around.
The player throws the ball straight up in the air, while calling out a
name of one of the players. The called player has to try to catch the
ball, while the others run away as fast as they can.  When the called
player catches the ball, he is allowed to throw it back in the air,
while calling out another player’s name that then has to try to catch
the ball. If he doesn’t catch the ball then he has to pick it up and
call loudly: “SPUD”. Everybody has to freeze. The player with the ball
chooses an opponent to hit with the ball and he can take two big hops
towards his victim. If he hits his opponent with the ball the opponent
receives the letter “S”. If he misses or his victim catches the ball,
then the thrower gets the letter “S”.
The penalized player starts the next round by throwing the ball up. As
the game goes on, the players receive first S, then P, then U and then
D. The first player who receives all four letters SPUD is the loser. A
very popular and easy ball game to play with kids.

DODGE BALL

Almost every American kid plays Dodge ball somewhere in his youth. Very
easy, very fun and very popular. Dodge ball promotes speed, agility, aim
and gross motor skills. Make a rectangular field with a dividing line in the middle. Then split the group of children
into two groups and have them line up at the back line of the field.
Each team on one side of the field. Put 2 or 3 balls on the middle line
and call out: “Go”. The kids have to run to get possession of the ball
and then they throw at will to one of the opponents. They are not
allowed to cross the middle line. If someone is hit by the ball, he is
temporarily out of the game. The player is safe when the thrown ball
misses or hits the ground first. A player may also catch a thrown ball.
If he succeeds the thrower is temporarily out of the game and all his
team mates that were temporarily out of the game can come back into the
game. But if he doesn’t catch the ball, then he is temporarily out of
the game. This continues until everyone on one side has been eliminated.

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This ball bouncing game is played on every elementary schoolyard. It’s an excellent practice for coordination, gross motor skills and building social skills. Four square can be played by children
6 years and up. Draw a square on the ground about 20 foot long and
divide the square into 4 equal squares. Mark each square with a letter
from A to D. Four children play this game at a time, one child in every square. The children
have to bat the ball underhand with their open palms into another
square. They can use one or both hands as long as they are open and use
the underhand strike. The player in square A begins by bouncing the ball
one time on the ground and then hits it to another player’s square.
This player lets it bounce once and then he or she hits the ball
underhand to bounce it into another player square. A player is out when
the ball goes outside the borders of the big square, or when the ball
bounces twice before it is hit back into another square or when the
player hits the ball with other body parts.
The player who made a mistake has to go to square D or if players
waiting on the side to the side. The new player starts in square D and
the others move up. (From D to C and from C to B, and so on). There are
no winners in this game. The goal is to stay as long as possible in
square A.

KICKBALL

Kickball is like baseball for the feet. This way much younger children can enjoy these ball games while improving their kicking, throwing and team building skills.
Draw a Kickball diamond about 20 to 30 feet long and mark the four bases. Divide the children
into two teams and one team starts in the field. The first player of
the other team starts at the home plate. Mark also the pitcher’s mound.
This is the place where the pitcher has to roll the ball towards the
kicker. The kicker kicks the ball as far as he can into the diamond and
starts running towards first base. He can be out if the kicked ball is
caught in the air, if the ball touches first base before he gets there,
he is tagged by the ball or when he is tagged by a thrown ball. The
players in the field are allowed to pick up the ball and throw it
towards a player near the first base. Like in baseball, the kicker can
run as far as he thinks he can make it. Then the next kicker starts at
the home plate and the game continues. You can easily adjust this game
with more baseball rules according to the kids level of playing Kickball. Kids love this entertaining and active game, because it is easy to play.

This ball game is played against a good, open wall and the children use a
bounce ball such as a tennis ball. Then they draw the field which is
about 10 feet wide and 15 feet long. The game is played by two children
at a time. The children have to throw the ball against the wall and
after that the ball should land within the defined field borders. The
other player has to catch the ball after one bounce or in the air and he
throws it back against the wall. If the ball bounces twice or goes
outside the borders of the field, the opponent gets a point. The one
with the most points is the winner. This ball game is a simple, but yet
fun and active game kids will love! If you have more children to play
with, then you make an order and after every thrown ball, the next one
in order has to catch the ball and the thrower goes out of the field.
Like this is becomes a very active variation, because the children run
in and out of the field.

AROUND THE WORLD

This is a basketball game which is fun for ages 6 and up till adults.
You will need a driveway with a basketball hoop or one side of a
basketball court. Then mark 7 points around the basket from where the
players try to shoot a basket.
Player one starts at the first point and tries to shoot a basket. If
successful, he moves to the next spot and shoots again. This way he
continues his “Tour around the world” until he misses and the next
player starts at point one. The next round each player continues where
he missed the basket. The first player who makes his “tour around the
world” and back is the winner.

SMALL SOCCER

This is a simple soccer game played in a yard. Mark the border of the
field and define two goals on each opposite site of the field. The goals
can be made from anything, like cones, a fence, and chairs, something
clear enough to set the borders. Divide the children into two groups and
let them kick, pass and dribble with the ball as they try to make a
goal in the opposites team’ goal. It is a good idea to give one team
something bright so they can recognize their team mates. When a team is
scored on, that team begins the next round with the possession of the
ball. Kids love this way of easy and active soccer ball game.

Have fun with these active ball games ! It will bring the children hours of fun!

Enjoyed Ball Games?

See also our other outdoor games:

Playground Games || Race Games || Water Games || Tag and Chase Games || Sidewalk Games || Hide-and-Seek Games ||