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Bounce and Say
Bounce a ball and say a word for each bounce — great for counting and vocab.
⏱ 5-10 min⚡ High energy👥 Whole class
📚 Vocabulary
• numbers 1-10
• counting
• any vocabulary words
• colours
• animals
🛠 Materials
• A soft bouncy ball
• Open floor space
📋 How to Play
- Children sit or stand in a circle.
- Teacher bounces the ball and counts each bounce — "One... two... three..."
- Children join in counting together with each bounce.
- Stop at a random number — children must say what number comes next.
- For vocabulary drilling — say one word per bounce.
- Example: bounce "cat" bounce "dog" bounce "bird" bounce "fish"
- Pass the ball to a child — they bounce it and say a vocabulary word each time.
- If they cannot think of a word they pass to the next child.
💡 Teacher Tips
✓The physical action of bouncing helps children remember vocabulary through movement.
✓Use a soft foam ball so it is safe indoors.
✓This works brilliantly for number practice combined with any vocabulary topic.
✓Let shy children just count the bounces without having to say a new word.
🔄 Variations
→Partner bounce — children work in pairs passing the ball and taking turns saying words.
→Category bounce — all words must be from the same category.
→Stop and freeze — when teacher says freeze everyone stops and holds their position.
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