Seesaw Dodgeball

Skill: Dodge, Throw
Time Required: 15
Activity Type: Physical
Group Size: Large Group, Medium Group
Age Group: 6 - 9yrs, 9 - 12yrs
Play area: Gymnasium (large indoor space), Outdoor - Field
Safety Considerations: Remove any safety hazards from the playing area.
Remind participants to always keep their head up while running and be aware of their surroundings.
Remind participants to hit participants below the hips (or knees) with the dodgeballs.
Equipment: A lot of dodgeballs (1 dodgeball for every 2 participants or so)
Pylons (optional to set out boundaries)
Objective:
For participants to avoid getting hit by a dodgeball, while trying to hit other participants with a dodgeball below the hips (or knees).
Other Skills:
Roll
Agility
Set up:
If indoors, use the lines of the gym to set out boundaries.
If outdoors or inside with no lines, use pylons to set up boundaries (about the size of a gym).
Step by Step:
1. Have participants scattered inside the boundaries.
2. The leader will throw in a bunch of dodgeballs.
3. Any participants can pick up a dodgeball.
4. They can throw or roll it, but they cannot kick it!
5. Participants try to hit any other participant with the dodgeball below the hips.
6. If a participant is hit below the hips, they have to sit down where they were hit.
7. If they had a ball in their hands, they have to drop it.
8. Participants can get back into the game if they pick up a ball from their seated position and throw/roll the ball and hit another participant.
9. If they hit another participant, they can stand up and begin playing again, and that participant has to sit down (just like a seesaw, one goes up and one goes down)
10. A twist to the game: Participants can only kick the balls. Participants can dribble the ball with their feet and kick it to try to hit participants below the knee. If a participant is hit, they sit down where they were hit. While seated, if a ball comes to them, they can pick it up and throw it from the seated position. If they hit a participant below the knee, they stand up and resume playing only using their feet.
Variations:
Have participants get into group of 3-4. Play the same way, however, the goal for each team is to not have all players sitting down at the same time. If a participant rolls a ball to their teammate who is sitting down, then the teammate that gets the ball is automatically back in the game. However, if a participant gets a ball that was not rolled to them by a teammate, they cannot stand up, they have to hit another participant below the hips to get back into the game.
Sources: Developed for the Leisure Information Network.