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[Childcare] Ball game ideas popular with children
Ball games that kids love! Playing with balls not only improves physical abilities, but also develops reflexes, nurtures social skills and imagination, and offers plenty of benefits that promote children’s growth.
You’ll definitely want to incorporate lots of ball play into their activities.
So this time, we’ve gathered plenty of popular ball game ideas recommended for children.
From games you can start on your own right away to activities everyone can enjoy together! Try having fun with the children at daycare, kindergarten, or at home!
Childcare: Popular Ball Play Ideas for Kids (1–10)
Ball passing
Line up in a vertical row and pass the ball along.
The team whose ball returns to the front first wins! Hold the ball firmly with both hands and, at the starting signal, pass it over your head to the friend behind you.
They’ll take it and pass it further back, and once it reaches the last person, pass it forward again from the back to the front.
The key point is to let go only after the person behind you—whom you can’t see—has a secure hold on the ball.
It’s also fun to get creative: try standing with your feet apart and passing the ball through your legs, or pass over the head on the way back and through the legs on the return, and so on.
Rolling Dodgeball
If you play dodgeball by rolling the ball and aiming at players’ legs, even children who are scared of fast-flying balls and aren’t fond of dodgeball can feel safe and have fun.
Players move within a marked area on the ground while dodging the ball, and anyone who gets hit on the legs steps out and joins the throwing team.
Because you have to roll the ball carefully to keep it from bouncing, the speed naturally stays lower.
Ball games tend to split kids into those who are good at them and those who aren’t, but with a few tweaks to the rules—even for the same game—everyone can enjoy playing together!
playing catch
Playing catch is simple fun: throw the ball, catch the one thrown back, and repeat.
You can use a small rubber ball, or enjoy a version where you throw and catch a larger ball with both hands.
Start at a short distance, then gradually move farther apart as you get used to it—your throwing strength will naturally adjust as the distance increases.
It’s also fun to add variety to how you throw: bounce it once before it reaches your partner, throw overhand, or toss it from between your legs.
Bowling
Aim for a strike! This is a bowling game where you roll a ball toward plastic-bottle pins.
Put a small amount of water in the bottles, close the caps tightly, and wrap construction paper around them—that’s all the prep you need.
Roll the ball and count the number of pins that fall together with the children.
By having them check the count themselves instead of the teacher tallying it, it also becomes good practice for counting.
To keep them from getting discouraged—like saying, “I can’t knock any down, I don’t want to play anymore!”—adjust the distance to the pins as you observe how they’re doing.
ball toss (traditional Japanese beanbag/ball-throwing game)
Tamaire is often thought of as simply tossing balls into a basket, but with a little creativity you can enjoy all kinds of variations! Try throwing balls from a distance into a basket placed on the ground, or aim at a basket your friend is wearing on their back as they run away—both offer a different kind of fun from the usual version where you throw at a basket up high.
Adjust the basket’s distance to match the child’s throwing ability.
If you say, “Put the balls into the bag the teacher is holding,” even the final clean-up can feel like a game.
dodgeball
When it comes to ball games that have always gotten people fired up, dodgeball is a must, isn’t it? Played by splitting into two teams, dodgeball is a sport that strengthens bonds within the team and among friends.
Kids who are scared of getting hit by the ball and aren’t fond of it might actually be great at dodging—nimble and quick at slipping away so they don’t get hit.
It’s the kind of game where children’s individual personalities really come out, don’t you think? When they get absorbed in the game, they can lose track of their surroundings, so it’s best to play while being careful to avoid injuries.
Bounce pass
Catch is a game of throwing a ball and catching it.
Bounce pass is a variation with a twist.
It’s a game where you first bounce the ball off the ground once and then catch it.
Even children who are afraid of throwing and catching a ball may feel less fearful when the ball is bounced.
It also helps develop a sense of distance.
Sometimes the ball will bounce in an unexpected direction, but that too makes it a game where children can learn to think about ball control.
Ping-Pong Ball Carry Relay
It’s a relay race where you carry a ping-pong ball on a ladle! The rules are super simple: run while holding a ladle with a ping-pong ball on it, then pass the entire ladle to the next teammate.
Still, it’s not as easy as it sounds—that’s the fun of this game.
On the turnaround, the ball can pop out if you carry too much speed, and you might drop it if your timing is off when passing the ladle.
Speed matters, but keeping your focus on your hands is just as important! It’s a game where bold kids and cautious kids each show their personalities, making it a lot of fun to watch.
Target shooting
A target-throwing game where you aim a ball at the target and compete for points! Cut hook-and-loop tape with an adhesive backing into thin strips, and attach them to a ping-pong ball in a radial pattern so it will stick to the target no matter which part hits.
Stick a felt target onto a large sheet of construction paper and write in the point values, and your target-throwing set is complete! If you set the small center area to 100 points and the others to 50 or 30 points, kids will focus and try their best to hit 100.
Hosting a target-throwing tournament sounds fun, too.
Ball-carrying relay
This is a ball-carrying relay where you pass the ball to the next friend and keep the sash going! Two people hold the ends of a cloth, place a ball on top, and move forward while matching their running speed and hand positions so the ball doesn’t fall.
Be extra careful during handoffs! If you let go before the next child has a firm grip on the cloth, the ball will drop.
Communicate and cooperate with phrases like, “Got it? I’m letting go!” and “Okay, ready—go!” Since both hands are occupied, there’s a chance children won’t be able to catch themselves well if they trip and fall.
Teachers, please keep a close watch over the relay.