Group Size: Any
Age Group: Grades 1- 6+
Equipment: Bouncy balls
Development Goal(s):
To categorize items, think of an item and say it out loud while playing.
Before You Start:
- Get everyone's attention.
- Explain to them that this is a game similar to four square.
- Have them repeat the rules four square or go over them again yourself
- Explain what a category is and give a few examples, such as fruit is a category. Ask what could go in that category? What wouldn't go in that category? What are other categories?
Set Up:
Make sure you have enough playground balls and a four square court, one large square split evenly into four squares.
How to Play:
- Following standard foursquare rules. With one additional rule… before you can hit a ball out of your square you need to say something in that round's category.
- If you do not say something in the category or repeat something already said, you go to the line.
- The server starts by indentifying the category outloud, such as fruits.
- The server would then say a fruit and serve the ball into someone else's square.
- The player could say pear and hit it in someone else's square and so one.
- Categories can be repeated, a category's round ends when a person makes a mistake and goes to the end of the line.
Variations:
- For younger players, you may need to give them a few simple categories to pick from, such as colors, animals or shapes.
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