[Sports] Recreational games using a ball [Play]
Here are a variety of ball-based recreational activities.
We’ve gathered ball games that can be enjoyed by everyone—from children to seniors!
From sports aiming for the pinnacle at the Olympics or World Cup to simple time-killers, the variety of sports and games that use a “ball” is practically limitless.
Many people love ball games regardless of age or gender!
If you’re looking for “ball-based activities everyone can play together,” be sure to use this as a reference.
You might even use these games as inspiration to invent your own original new ball sport!
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[Sports] Recreation Games Using a Ball [Play] (21–30)
soccer
Speaking of soccer, the whole country gets excited during events like the Olympics and the World Cup, right? Seeing that, many children probably feel like starting soccer or even dream of becoming soccer players in the future.
To enjoy soccer, it might be good to start by simply getting used to kicking the ball and playing around.
Regardless of the rules, there are many fun ways to play—try dribbling the ball to avoid obstacles, aiming a shot at a goal, or passing to a friend.
Squash volley
It’s a sport adapted from volleyball that uses a badminton doubles court and a special soft ball.
Matches are played in teams of three, and the biggest difference from volleyball is that you must always hit the ball three times before returning it to the opponent’s court.
The soft ball reduces impact when struck, making it easier to participate, but because it doesn’t bounce the way you expect, it creates strategic mind games.
Since it’s a small-team format, assembling teams with consideration for participants’ stamina and balance is also an important point.
[Sports] Recreational ball games [Play] (31–40)
Broom Swirl Dribble Relay
One game you often see on variety shows is the broom spin-and-dribble relay.
In this one, before running you spin around and around using a broom as the axis, then dribble a ball and aim for the goal.
You can choose your preferred dribbling style, like soccer-style or basketball-style.
It’s not just speed and skill that determine the winner—the strength of your vestibular system makes a big difference.
There’s a high chance of falling, so please be careful to avoid injuries.
Kimball
It is a sport mainly played indoors using a ball with a diameter of 122 centimeters that originated in Canada.
The “Kin” in kin-ball is an abbreviation of the English word “kinesis,” meaning “sense of movement,” and international tournaments are now held.
Kin-ball includes two types of games: the Competition Game and the Lead-Up Game.
In the former, teams made up of four players each repeatedly hit and receive the ball within the court, while in the latter, two teams play rock-paper-scissors as they work to carry the ball to their own goal line.
Go ball
This is a game called “Go Ball” that you can easily enjoy using items you have at home.
Prepare balls and sticks made by crumpling newspaper into a sphere and wrapping it with tape, plus a sheet of paper with a grid drawn on it to serve as a Go board.
Tape the grid paper to the floor, then use the stick to hit the paper ball from a distance and try to land it inside a grid square.
A state where a single ball is in a square or several balls are in squares is called an “eye,” and connected eyes are called a “chain,” with points awarded for both eyes and chains.
The team that makes more eyes wins, but if no eyes are made, the winner is decided by total points.
Giant beach ball breaking
Instead of using a regular-sized beach ball you often see, play “Beach Ball Smashing” with a giant beach ball.
Since a beach ball doesn’t actually break, it’s fine as long as you can hit the ball with a stick, like in a watermelon-smashing game.
Using a beach ball with a watermelon pattern adds to the vibe and makes it even more fun! The rules are the same as the watermelon game.
Do the dizzy-bat style spin about 10 times with the stick, then, while blindfolded, face the direction where the beach ball is.
People around should help by telling the player where the ball is.
Once you reach the ball, it’s a success if you give the beach ball a solid tap with the stick!
Ball Retrieval Relay
A recommended variation of the ball-carry relay is the Ball Collection Relay! In this game, you form teams and race to gather balls as quickly as possible.
Stand at the starting line and take off when the signal is given.
Each team member runs out one at a time to grab a ball, comes back, and hands the baton to the next person.
The more balls there are, the more fun it gets.
You can help each other, chat while you run, and feel your team’s unity.
Laugh, cheer each other on, and make it a memorable event!
