Exercise

Ball-Rolling Activities for Preschool: A Partner Lesson

By Dave Joisil (Mr. J) · Certified Health and Physical Education teacher

Updated

Teach floor-level sending and receiving with soft balls, broad gates and slow partner rolls, plus an original preschool roll-and-return planning mat.

Ball rolling gives preschool learners a floor-level way to send an object toward a place or person. Start with a slow roll through a broad gate, then introduce a partner who is ready to stop it. The ball should remain on the ground rather than being tossed or bounced.

Use an intact, school-approved soft ball that is large enough not to be a choking hazard and comfortable for the learner to control. Check for loose parts and unsuitable materials. Clear the surface, keep balls away from stairs and doors, and supervise the whole activity.

Set up a broad, short lane

Place two flat markers to make an easy gate and a starting spot a short distance away. Keep nearby lanes parallel and leave space between groups. There is no universal preschool distance: begin close enough that a gentle push reaches the gate without a forceful launch.

Offer a comfortable floor position only when suitable, or another stable position specified by the learner's support plan. Children do not need to sit cross-legged or kneel to participate. Never require a transfer from mobility equipment simply to match the rest of the group.

Teach push along the floor

Show the ball resting on the ground, then gently push it forward with one or both hands so it rolls. Keep the action low instead of lifting and dropping the ball. Ask children to notice its path and where it stops before trying again.

If it bounces, bring the hand closer to the floor and use a slower push. If it stops too soon, shorten the lane before asking for more force. If it repeatedly curves away, check the surface and ball as well as the child's release.

Game one: Wide doorway

The learner rolls toward their empty gate, waits until the lane is safe, then walks or travels by an agreed route to retrieve. Use the same pause-and-check routine each time. No one reaches into another lane for a ball while it is being used.

Invite the child to choose a gate width with adult help. Count shared attempts if useful for language practice, but do not score the child against classmates. Change the width or distance one at a time so the effect is visible.

Game two: Ready, roll, receive

Partners face each other in their own short lane. The receiver shows an agreed ready signal, the sender rolls gently, and the receiver stops the ball with a comfortable hand position. Both pause before the return roll. Teach the ready signal separately if children send too soon.

For an appropriate adapted setup, a securely positioned ramp may support sending after specialist planning; keep it stable and out of travel routes. Describe the child's control and choices rather than labeling ramp use as an independent hand roll.

Copy-and-print: Roll-and-return planning mat

  • Sender spot ______ → broad gate ______ → receiver spot or empty finish ______.
  • Ball checked: size ______; intact ______; soft ______; school-approved ______.
  • Comfortable participation positions: ______. Access route: ______.
  • Receiver ready signal: ______. Sender's cue: LOW, SLOW, TOWARD.
  • We saw: rolled / bounced / stopped early / reached partner / needed help.
  • Next change: nearer gate / wider gate / different ball / clearer ready cue ______.

End with the ball parked

Teach a named parking place so the lesson does not finish with loose balls across the room. Children place equipment there when the adult signals and the lanes are closed. If a ball escapes, ask for help rather than chasing it through another group.

Progress later to catching games or underhand throwing, each with a new demonstration and safety setup. Rolling success is not an age-based readiness test for either skill.

The sending/receiving distinction and equipment precautions draw on Scoilnet's throwing overview, which includes rolling as a sending variation and recommends soft, suitably sized objects. These two original setups are preschool teaching suggestions, not a validated intervention.