Target activities are ones where players are aiming for a specific target. Target activities can also include avoiding obstacles while aiming. Target activities need focus, aim, accuracy, and precision. Players that become good at target games learn how to control the speed and trajectory by applying the right amount of force to the object. Players have to consider the environment and situation when choosing how much force they should use to hit their target.

Examples of target activities include archery, bowling, croquet, golf, and curling.

Target Activities

Let’s do some target practice with a bean bag toss activity. Bean bag toss is also known as cornhole. Bean bag toss is a popular lawn game where players throw bean bags at a specific target. The target is usually a hole in a raised platform. Each time a player gets a bean bag in the hole they get three points. If the bean bag misses the hole but lands on the raised platform it is one point. The first player that gets to 21 points wins. Let’s explore the following modified version that uses household items.

Equipment

The following equipment is required for this activity:

• Bean bags. You can try using balls, rolling socks into balls, crumpling paper into balls, or making your own bean bags. To make your own bean bag, you will need some fabric and something like rice to stuff the fabric with. You can glue the fabric or stitch it to make the bean bag.
• Find something that can be used as target(s) such as paper cups, bottles, hula hoops, t-shirts, cloth, or you could draw a target on the ground with chalk.

How to play

Set up your target. You can have one target or many targets at varying distances. If you have more than one target, you can increase the point values for targets that are further.

Then select a distance that is away from the target to throw/kick from. Choose a distance that is slightly challenging for you to throw/kick from.

Aim and throw/kick your bean bags at the target until you reach 21 points.

If you have a partner, you can compete with them and see who gets 21 points first!

Playing Bean Bag Toss

Net/wall activities are ones where players are attempting to send an object towards a target area where an opponent is defending. Players aim to send the object in the target area while making it hard for the opponent to return the object. Players of net/wall activities need to practise their spatial awareness, positioning, and anticipation to send and receive the object. Players have to consider their agility, speed, timing, and teamwork.

Examples of net/wall activities include tennis, volleyball, pickleball, and badminton.

Net/Wall Activities

Being able to send and receive objects effectively is the key to net/wall activities. Let’s practise our skills with wallball. Wallball is a sport where you are hitting a ball off the wall with your hands.

Equipment and set-up

Explore the following equipment and set up required for this activity.

• A small ball such as a tennis ball or rubber ball.
• Find an area with a flat smooth wall that is safe to throw a ball at.
• If you can mark the boundaries of the playing field, some items you may use to mark these boundaries are chalk, tape and pylons. The boundary should be 6 metres wide by 12 metres long. The serve line is about 1.5 metres from the wall. You may adjust these boundaries depending on your comfort level.

How to play

You will serve the ball approximately 1.5 metres away from the wall (at the serve line). You can serve with your hands or feet.

When serving the ball, it must bounce on the ground one time before hitting the wall.

Then when you are receiving the ball you must let it bounce on the ground once after it hit the wall before returning the ball towards the wall.

The ball is still in play until it either bounces out of bounds, hits the wall without bouncing on the ground, bounces more than once before returning the ball or is not bounced once before sending the ball back to the wall.

If you have a partner or some friends, you can take turns sending and receiving the ball. Keep track of who can keep the ball in play the longest!

Playing Wallball

Striking/fielding activities are ones where players are striking objects to score points. The opponents are retrieving and returning the object to stop play and prevent scoring, which is known as fielding. Players need to practise how to control the speed and trajectory by applying the right amount of force to the object. A player striking the object also should consider the environment and situation. Striking players also need to be able to anticipate the sending and receiving of the object, similarly to net/wall activities. Fielding players need to have good communication and cooperation with their teammates, as well as focus and anticipation of the object to retain it.

Examples of striking/fielding activities include baseball, cricket, kickball, and softball.

Fielding/Striking Activities

Being able to strike an object effectively is key to scoring in striking/fielding activities. Let’s batter up and practise this skill with this activity.

Equipment and set-up

Check out the following equipment and set up required for this activity:

• Small ball(s) such as a softball, baseball, or tennis ball. You could also crumple paper into a ball or roll a sock into a ball.
• A bat (optional).
• Pylons, cones, bottles, or objects that can hold the ball in place and be used to mark target area locations. The object that is holding the ball should ideally hold the ball in place at a height where you can swing your arms/bat at easily.

How to play

• Place the ball on top of the object.
• Swing and strike the ball with your hand or a bat aiming at the target area location you set. You may also choose to kick the ball at the target.
• To challenge yourself or friends you may want to measure how many balls you can get in a target area in a certain amount of time or attempts.

Playing Baseball

Territory activities are ones where players are trying to control an object, keep it away from opponents and move the object into a specific target area to score. Unlike a wall/net activity, in territory activities, all the players are in the same playing area. Players need to effectively communicate and cooperate with teammates.

Examples include soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee, football, and hockey.

Territory Activities

Keeping possession of the object is important in any territory activity. The following activity is a drill you can use to practise keeping possession of a ball.

Equipment & set-up

• Any ball that is safe for you to kick or bounce around
• Timer/stopwatch
• 2 pylons, cones, plastic/paper cups or bottles to be used as objects to avoid. Place the 2 objects approximately 5 metres apart from each other.

How to play

• Choose whether or not to dribble with your hands or feet.
• Dribble around the two objects to form figure eights. Tip: Start off dribbling slowly so you can learn to maintain control of the ball.
• You can measure how many figure eights you can do given a certain time frame or use a stopwatch and measure how much time it takes to do a specific number of figure eights.

Figure Eight Dribbling Drill

Individual activities are ones where participants can do the activity on their own. This can involve a variety of skillsets depending on the exact sport.

Examples include yoga, running, swimming, dancing, gymnastics, and cycling.

Individual Activities

Think of an individual activity you have done before. Take 5-15 minutes to practise/perform that activity. This can include running laps, freestyle dancing, and Pilates.