Preschoolers love to play with balls. You could plan a ball theme or a shapes theme. You could include ball activities in other themes, such as summer, ocean, or beach. You could add a little more gross motor action in some of your centers. Check out these 30 ideas for some rolling, bouncing fun in your classroom.
Activities with Balls
Using balls helps develop both gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Different sizes of balls lead kids to try different ways to hold and move the balls. Coordination between the hand and eyes or foot and eyes refines reflexes and strengthens eye muscles. And activities with balls develop using both sides of the body simultaneously, causing the brain to communicate between hemispheres.
Gross Motor Beach Ball Game (Pre-K Pages)
Fine Motor Math Game (Pre-K Pages)
Muffin Pan Tossing Activity (Pre-K Pages)
Moon Crater Tossing Game (Pre-K Pages)
Ball and Tunnel Game (Brick by Brick)
Ball Painting (Brick by Brick)
Painting with Golf Balls (Simple Fun for Kids)
Why Do Balls Bounce? (Science Sparks)
Bouncy Ball Art (Crayon Box Chronicles)
Make a Squeeze Ball (Homeschool Preschool)
Rolling Paint Tracks Process Art (Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds)
Floating Rainbow Balls (Simple Fun for Kids)
Scoop and Transfer Activity (Hands On as We Grow)
Match the Pattern (Kids Kubby)
Follow the Line (Hands On as We Grow)
Color Match Ball Game (Imagination Tree)
Ball Games for Kids (Educators’ Spin on It)
Ball Activities for Preschoolers
Using balls together builds social interactions and communication. Preschoolers develop stronger understanding of position words–over, under, around, beside, through. Often using balls will involve cooperation and problem-solving. Plus incorporating ball play into your activities is fun!
Balancing Felt Balls (Learning 4 Kids)
Spiky Ball and Loom Bands (Laughing Kids Learn)
Play Dough, Golf Balls, and Tees (I Can Teach My Child)
Games with Ball-Pit Balls (Hands On as We Grow)
Painting with Golf Ball (Mess for Less)
Indoor Golf Game (Craftulate)
Tennis Ball Games (Little Bins for Little Hands)
Kick the Cup Alphabet Game (Fun Learning for Kids)
Counting Croquet (Toddler Approved)
Wiffle Ball Creatures (Therapy Fun Zone)
Velcro Ball (Creative Connections for Kids)
Bouncy Balls Toss (Hands On as We Grow)
Sort Colors into Balls (Still Playing School)
Cereal Box Ramps (Little Pinch of Perfect)
Preposition Fun with Balls (Growing Book by Book)
Launching Balls with a Lever (Buggy and Buddy)
And check out these ball books, too.
How About Some Balls Science?
Invite your preschoolers to explore force and motion with Balls Science: Can It Bounce? Age-appropriate lesson plans, word cards, and photograph posters guide kids to explore, predict, observe, investigate, and classify!
