Do your students get stuck indoors when it's cold, rainy or snowy? It's time to introduce some new fun, active games that can be played indoors. This week's game is similar to four square, but played with three hula hoops and a ball. The Game of the Week is Hula Ball!
Group Size: 3+
Before You Start:
- One player is behind each hula hoop and the rest of the players are waiting in cheering line.
- Encourage students to use positive language (cheer on their classmates or say good job, nice try) and give high-fives as students go to the end of the line.
Set Up:
Can be played outside, in a gym or in a classroom. Set up the three hula hoops to look like Mickey Mouse’s head in the play space. Make sure the hula hoops are touching each other. Put down cones or a marker to designate a place where the waiting students will line up.
How to Play:
- The concept of the game is to bounce the ball in another person's hula hoop.
- The ball can only bounce once in any hula hoop.
- Each player needs to hit the ball with any part of his/her hand into an opposing player's hula hoop after it has bounced only once in their hula hoop. If the ball lands on a hula hoop, or goes out of bounds before it bounces, the player who hit the ball needs to return to the waiting/cheering line for another try.
- If a player hits the ball and it bounces again in her/his hula hoop, s/he also needs to return to the waiting line.
- If a player catches or holds the ball, that player needs to return to the waiting line.
- If the ball bounces more than one time before it is hit into another hula hoop, the player who let the ball bounce needs to return to the waiting line for another try.
- If the ball is returned before it is allowed to bounce, the player who returned the ball early needs to return to the waiting line.
- When a student returns to the waiting/cheering line, they will be replaced by the next student waiting in line.
Variations:
- Designating a serving hoop and having students rotate (similar to 4 Square)
- Adding multiple hula hoops or additional balls
Love implementing Game of the Week? Playworks offers professional development programs that will teach your staff to use recess and playtime to improve health and support learning. Curious to learn more? Submit the Training Assessment form and a local Playworks representative will respond directly.
