Ultimate Beachball

Skill: Catch, Kick, Run, Strike, Throw
Time Required: 20
Activity Type: Physical
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group, Small Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs
Play area: Gymnasium (large indoor space)
Safety Considerations: Remove any safety hazards and obstacles from the play area.
Remind participants to be aware of their surroundings and to keep their head up.
Equipment: 1 or more beach balls.
2 hula hoops.
Cones (optional for boundaries).
Objective:
For participants to get the beach ball through their team member's hoop in their end zone.
Other Skills:
Coordination
Speed
Set up:
Divide participants into two equal teams.
Use the lines of the gym for the boundaries and use the space between the last line and the wall as the end zones (make sure the end zone is big enough, if not, create the end zone boundaries using cones).
If outdoors, use pylons to set up the boundaries and end zones.
Step by Step:
1. Each team will start on one half of the playing area.
2. They will select one participant to stand in the end zone opposite them with a hula hoop.
3. On the word "go", the leader will throw in one or more beach balls.
4. Participants can throw, strike or kick the beach ball to other members of their team.
5. They cannot run with it in their hands though.
6. They can catch the beach ball, but then they have to stop running when they catch it.
7. The other team is trying to intercept the ball.
8. The goal for each team is to throw their ball into their end zone and for the participant in the end zone to get the beach ball to go through their hoop.
9. If they manage to get the beach ball to go through their hoop, then they get a point.
10. The other team will start with the ball in their half.
11. Play for a set amount of time or until a team has scored a set amount of points.
Variations:
Have one participant from each team in each end zone. No matter which team throws the beach ball in either end zone, it's the team that catches it with their hoop that gets the point.
Use more than 2 beach balls.
Use foam balls instead of beach balls.

Adaptations (Blindness/Visual Impairment):
Use a beachball with rice inside so that participants who are blind or visually impaired can hear it. Have team members develop a unique call (e.g., quack, bark, or a given word) to help better orient these participants to their team.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.