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Bounce and Say
Bounce a ball and say a word for each bounce â great for counting and vocab.
âą 5-10 min⥠High energyðĨ Whole class
ð Vocabulary
âĒ numbers 1-10
âĒ counting
âĒ any vocabulary words
âĒ colours
âĒ animals
ð Materials
âĒ A soft bouncy ball
âĒ Open floor space
ð How to Play
- Children sit or stand in a circle.
- Teacher bounces the ball and counts each bounce â "One... two... three..."
- Children join in counting together with each bounce.
- Stop at a random number â children must say what number comes next.
- For vocabulary drilling â say one word per bounce.
- Example: bounce "cat" bounce "dog" bounce "bird" bounce "fish"
- Pass the ball to a child â they bounce it and say a vocabulary word each time.
- If they cannot think of a word they pass to the next child.
ðĄ Teacher Tips
âThe physical action of bouncing helps children remember vocabulary through movement.
âUse a soft foam ball so it is safe indoors.
âThis works brilliantly for number practice combined with any vocabulary topic.
âLet shy children just count the bounces without having to say a new word.
ð Variations
âPartner bounce â children work in pairs passing the ball and taking turns saying words.
âCategory bounce â all words must be from the same category.
âStop and freeze â when teacher says freeze everyone stops and holds their position.
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