This game is an adaptation of the traditional “Rob the Cookie Jar”. I used it for my 3rd and 4th graders to practice their soccer dribbling skills.
Set up a large playing area with hula hoops arranged in a big circle. Each hoop should be at least 10 paces from another one with a free area in the center. Students all get their own soccer or kick ball and place it in a hula hoop. Set up enough hoops so that each hoop has 5-6 balls (vary hoop number according to your class size). The hoop where their ball starts is their home hoop. The goal is to get as many balls into your hoop as possible in a set amount of time. On the start signal, students run to another hoop, lift a ball out, set it on the ground, and then dribble it to their own hoop. They use their feet to trap the ball in their own hoop. Then go and “steal” another ball. At the end of the designated time, students return to their own hoop and count to see which team has the most balls.
Here are a few rules my students came up with as we played the game:
1. can only steal one ball at a time
2. you cannot steal from a person kicking, just from the hoops
3. you cannot rob from your “next door neighbor” (hoop on either side of yours) 2 times in a row
4. you cannot rob from the same hoop 2 times in a row
5. no hands after you pick the ball up out of the hoop, kicking only
Fun, active, and good practice!
One Comment