Minds On

Similarities

Different activities and games can involve similar movements, equipment, or spaces.

Explore the following carousel of different games.

Student Success

Think-Pair-Share

  • What are some similarities between the games in the previous carousel?
  • What movement skills do you recognize?
  • Why do you think these skills are important?

If possible, discuss your ideas with a peer or adult. You can also record your ideas on paper, on a computer, as an audio or video clip, or by using another method of your choice.

Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.

Action

Active games

There are five categories of active games. Each category groups games that have similar strategies.

We are now going to explore one type of active game: net and wall games.

Let’s get warmed up!

Always be sure to do your safety checks before starting an activity.

Safety

Before you begin:

Warm Up

Side-to-side claps warm up

Warmups are simple activities that slowly increase our heart rate and get our muscles and joints ready!

Let’s warm up with side-to-side claps

  • If possible, stand or sit up straight with feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Extend arms out sideways to shoulder height with palms facing forward.
  • Breathe in, slowly move left hand to right hand and clap! Breathe out and bring left hand back to the starting position.
  • Breathe in, slowly move right hand to left hand and clap! Breathe out and bring right hand back to starting position.
  • Repeat 20 times.

Net and wall games

Net and wall games are physical activities that involve sending an object using body parts or equipment over a net or against a wall.

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Opponent means a person or team that you are playing a game against.

Defending means to protect a target area by preventing your opponent from achieving a goal.

In net and wall games, players send an object towards a target area that an opponent defends. Players try to make it difficult for their opponent to return the object. Table tennis, volleyball, badminton, and squash are all examples of net and wall games.

Check out the following video demonstrating table tennis.

Ready position

Many physical activities involve a ready position that allows you to quickly move and respond to a sent object. Knees are bent, feet are apart, head is up, arms are out for balance, and attention is focused.

It is important to use a ready position when playing net and wall games because players have to be ready to receive and send an object over a net or against a wall as fast as possible.

Net and wall game strategies

There are different strategies you can use to improve your net and wall game skills.

Press each tab to explore strategies for sending and receiving

When sending an object, you should:

  • focus on where you are sending the object
  • communicate effectively to the person you are sending the object to
  • aim with accuracy
  • transfer your body weight as you send the object
  • follow through in the direction you are sending the object
A child sending ball with a squash racquet towards a wall with red horizontal lines.

When receiving an object, you should:

  • get into a ready position
  • focus on the object once it is sent
  • move to where the object is going
  • have your body part or equipment ready to receive the object
  • put your body in front of or under the object, rather than reaching out towards it
  • receive or stop the object
A volleyball falling toward a child clasping hands and stretching their arms toward the ball.

Try It

Practising with a wall

In this next activity, we will practise our sending and receiving skills.

Complete one of the following wall games. You can complete both games if you like.

Wall game with hands activity

Press the following tabs to access the equipment and steps required to complete this activity.

Remember to perform your safety check before you begin!

  • an object that bounces and can be thrown safely

  1. If possible, move to an open space near a wall.
  2. Use your hands to send your object at the wall, but bounce it on the ground one time before it reaches the wall.
  3. After your object hits the wall, let it bounce on the ground one time before receiving it.
  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 ten times.

For a challenge, after your object hits the wall, let it bounce on the ground two times before receiving it.

Wall game with feet activity

Press the following tabs to access the equipment and steps required to complete this activity.

Remember to perform your safety check before you begin!

  • an object that can be kicked safely

  1. If possible, move to an open space near a wall.
  2. Send your object by kicking it at the wall.
  3. Receive the object after it hits the wall and rolls back.
  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 ten times.

Pause and Reflect

Time to reflect

When you are finished with the wall games, reflect on the following question:

  • What other games use similar strategies to the wall games from this learning activity?

Record your ideas on paper, on a computer, as an audio or video clip, or by using another method of your choice.

Press ‘Answers’ to access some possible answers.

Badminton

Four Square

Ping Pong

Squash

Tennis

Volleyball

Equipment use strategies

There are different strategies you can use to improve your sending with equipment skills.

When sending an object using equipment, you should:

  • focus on where you are sending the object
  • hold or throw up the object
  • bring your bat, racquet, or paddle back slightly
  • contact the object with your equipment extended
  • aim with accuracy
  • transfer your body weight as you send the object
  • follow through in the direction you are sending the object

Check out the following video demonstrating sending an tennis ball using a racquet.

Try It

Up and down activity

In this activity, we will practise our sending with equipment skills.

Remember to perform your safety check before you begin!

Press the following tabs to access the equipment and steps required to complete this activity.

  • 1 object that can be thrown safely
  • 1 racquet, paper plate, or paddle

  1. If possible, move to an open space.
  2. Take your object and place it on your racket, paper plate, or paddle.
  3. Toss the object up and use the racket, paper plate, or paddle to send it straight upwards.
  4. Stay in one place and try to keep the object up. Count every time the object contacts the racket, paper plate, or paddle.
  5. If it falls on the ground, restart your count!

For a challenge, keep the object up for a count of 30.

Pause and Reflect

Time to reflect

When you are finished with the sending with equipment activity, reflect on the following question:

  • Why is it important to be ready to move in a net/wall activity?
  • Were there any strategies you used to improve your skills? If so, what did you do? How did it improve your skills?

Record your ideas on paper, on a computer, as an audio or video clip, or by using another method of your choice.

Cool Down

Ladder climbs cool down

We’re now going to cool down with ladder climbs and deep breath hugs.

Remember to take slow and deep breaths as you allow the heart rate to return to a normal pace.

Ladder climb

  • If possible, stand tall with feet slightly apart.
  • Slowly move arms and legs up and down as if you were climbing a ladder to the sky.
  • Climb the imaginary ladder for 20-30 steps.

Press ‘Modification’ to access a modified warm up activity.

  • If possible, sit upright with feet slightly apart.
  • Slowly move arms up and down as if you were climbing a ladder to the sky.
  • Climb the imaginary ladder for 20-30 steps.

Deep breath hug

  • Stand tall or sit upright with feet slightly apart.
  • Slowly take three deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
  • Wrap arms around shoulders and give self a big hug.

Consolidation

Let’s review!

We are now going to review our knowledge of net and wall games.

For each sentence, select the missing word from the drop-down menu.

My game demonstration

Now it’s your turn to create a game demonstration.

Complete the My Game Demonstration activity in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.

My Game Demonstration
Create a plan for a game demonstration by recording answers to the following questions.
1) Which net and wall game are you most interested in?
2) If you were creating a demonstration for a person that has never played this game before, what would you need to explain?
3) Which movements, components, and strategies would you need to describe?
Movements
Components
Strategies

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access My Game Demonstration Activity. 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

When you are finished creating your game demonstration plan, share it with a peer or adult, if possible.

A person holding and pointing at a basketball in front of a video camera that is recording them.

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel…

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.