EYFS Activities: Birth to two… Roll-a-ball

Throughout childhood, most children enjoy playing with balls. One of the earliest games that we can play with babies and toddlers is to roll a ball across to them. This simple game can help support a range of skills as well as spark an interest in ball games.

WHEN AND HOW

Babies need to be able to sit up unsupported before you can play this game with them. This means that most babies will be between seven and ten months old when you first introduce it. Sitting up without support allows babies to participate.

To play this game, you will need to clear an area of the floor. If you work with several children, you may also find that other children will want to join in, so be ready to include them. A good tip is to have more than one ball.

It’s also useful to:

choose a ball that a baby will be able to lift and handle fairly easily. Avoid balls that are too soft as they tend not to roll well

choose a time when the baby is not tired andisfairly content

clear a space on the floor around the baby

sit opposite the baby with your legs apart

gently roll the ball over to the baby

(once the baby has explored the ball) encourage its return by reaching out for it and saying ‘Thank you!’

be patient and if necessary roll another ball across to the child

praise the baby by clapping your hands and saying ‘Thank you!’ if any attempt is made to pass the ball back to you

(once the game is established) introduce some key phrases that you can repeat such as ‘There it goes…!’

expect that at times, the baby or toddler will be more interested in holding and exploring the ball rather than playing with you.

DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS

This game teaches babies and toddlers how to be a play partner. For the game to work, babies and toddlers have to reciprocate passing the ball. This is a social skill that takes time for children to learn.

The game also encourages a range of physical movements too, including balance and co-ordination. Roll-a-ball helps babies and toddlers to:

• feel in control as they choose whether or not to return the ball to you (emotional)
• track items and learn about speed, time and distance (cognitive)
• build vocabulary, as children associate words with actions (language)
• develop balance and co-ordination as they reach for the ball (physical)
• develop social skills as they have to reciprocate movements (social).

NEXT STEPS

Once the game is established, you can play it with two or three children and see if you can encourage them to roll the ball across to each other. This is a great game to help children of different ages connect with each other, although you do need to be patient as children sometimes ‘hog’ the ball or wander off with it. Passing the ball back and forward is the basis of many other games including kicking the ball back and forth, as well as throwing games.

WHAT TO OBSERVE

There are several aspects of early development that are worth observing during a game of roll-a-ball:

Physical skills Consider how the child is managing to reach out for the ball and roll it back again.

Language Look to see if the child is starting to recognise or use any of the phrases that you have introduced.

Language See if the baby responds when you use a repeated phrase (for example, ‘Up you go!’).

HOME LEARNING

This is a good activity to show parents as they may not realise that they can use a ball so early with their baby. It is also worth letting parents know how games such as this can help their child gain those all-important social skills that are needed if children are to play with others.

To avoid parents becoming concerned about their child’s development, do emphasise that it is normal for toddlers to wander off with the ball or for babies to enjoy mouthing it rather than sending it back.

RHYME TIME

There are not many nursery rhymes that involve a ball, but you can always make up your own to sing as you are rolling the ball. You may also like to sing or say this one:

Roll that red ball down to town,

Roll that red ball down to town,

Roll that red ball down to town,

Roll that ball down to town.

(Change the location or colour and size of the ball as you wish.)

To hear the rhyme as a song and also to see a video, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKORI529BFE

BOOK TIME

Look out for simple picture books that involve playing with a ball or have pictures of balls in them. A lovely book to look at with children is Eric Hill’sSpot Goes to the Park. This classic lift-the-flap book looks at what happens when Spot loses his ball.

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