Game of the Week: Bridge Ball
Recent blog posts
- Game of the Week: Land, Sea, Air
- Honoring a Great Youth Development Worker
- Game of the Week: Freeze Tag
- Field Day Games to Play
- Game of the Week: Ro Sham Bo Relay
- Schools Should Provide Students with 30+ Minutes of Physical Activity Each Day
- Playworks AmeriCorps Member Meets the President
- To Improve School Climate and Student Learning, Examine Recess
- Changing Behavior Changes More Than the Playground
- A Great Recess = a Better School Day, New Research Shows
Easy and fun to play both indoors and out. All you need is one back and enough space for you group to form a circle. Teach this game once and your kids will be able to pick up a ball and play themselves. The Game of the Week is Bridge Ball!
Before You Start:
- Have everyone stand in a circle, foot to foot. Their legs should be slightly more than shoulder width apart, forming a “bridge.” Have everyone get into ready position with their hands on their knees.
- Make sure all players know not to reach in front of others in order to get the ball.
How To Play:
- The object of the game is for players to try to hit the ball between other players’ bridges (formed by their legs) and block balls from coming through their own bridges. Players get a letter in the word “bridge” each time the ball goes through their legs. Once a player has spelled bridge, the game restarts.
- Players may only hit the ball with an open palm. No throwing.
- They may catch the ball if it is head height. Then they must place the ball on the ground and hit it back into play.
- If a ball goes outside the circle, the player closest to it when it went out may go and get it.
- If the ball goes between a player’s legs, s/he gets a letter toward the word bridge. That player may go get the ball and hit it back in play.
Variations:
- Instead of spelling bridge, players can turn around and play backwards once the ball has gone through their legs 1x, 2x, or however many times you decide.
- Add a ball or two once players know how to play.
- Put a player in the middle of the circle to keep the game moving faster.
Find more new and exciting games in our games database!
Photo C - Faith Cathcart/The Oregonian
