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Name of Activity: Kick Far!
Purpose of Activity: This activity will give children the opportunity to practice the skill of kicking a ball. At this developmental age each child should focus on kicking the ball hard so it travels far away from the child. Kicking the ball “as hard as you can,” will assist children in developing kicking skills as the motion of kicking hard forces the child to go through the full range of motion with the kicking leg.
Prerequisites: Many children’s games include the skill of kicking. Kicking requires that children contact a ball with their foot while maintaining the balance necessary to propel the ball as straight and as far as they desire. Children should have a variety of opportunities to practice kicking skills. When children practice kicking the emphasis should be on development of the mature kicking pattern. Children develop this mature pattern by participating in activities where they move their kicking leg through the full range of kicking motion. Therefore, initial kicking experiences should emphasize kicking hard or kicking for distance as opposed to kicking for accuracy.
Suggested Grade Level: PreK
Materials Needed: A 10 inch diameter rubber playground ball or foam or soft covered soccer ball. Do not use regulation soccer balls with hard coverings that may hurt a child’s foot when kicked. This may discourage children from practicing. Practicing kicking skills is an outdoor activity and should not be done inside. A large grassy area is ideal for this activity.
Description of Idea Initially ask children to place the ball on the ground and ask that they take one step back and kick the ball hard and as far away as possible. Children then retrieve the balls and kick again. After children get the idea of kicking far, ask that they take several steps back away from the ball and run toward the ball and kick it. It may be helpful to place cones or markers out in the field so that children have a direction in which to kick. A marker or cone in the field can also be used to challenge children to kick farther. “Show me how far you can kick the ball. See if you can kick the ball past the cones.” Initially place cones about 10 to 12 yards away.
Variations: As children get the basic concept of kicking far and hard ask that they travel throughout the grassy area continually kicking their ball. “Kick your ball far and then run up and kick it again.”
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