Ping Pong Ball Games Lesson Plan

  • Adaptability

  • Honesty

  • Positive Self-Esteem

The students will count the number of successful tries to accurately measure their success. The pairs will work together to improve their score and give each other ideas to make this happen. The idea is to improve your score and not compare to others. 

S.T.A.R. Options:

Class Clap, counting, and rhythms. Teacher or one student lead. When the whole class sounds as one, try tow, then three, etc…

Math Counting (Multiples) Partner Counting. Clapping as a group to desired number. Add a partner and alternate count. Change partners.

Play + Connect Activity

Give each student or pair of students a ping pong ball and some type of cup. Have them spread around the room. See how many times they can get the ball in the cup using a variety of challenges. Variations: Drop ball from knees, Belly Button, Chin, or Standing on Chair. Have the students bounce the ball into the cup. 

Breathing Exercise Options:

Belly Breathing

5 belly breaths with mouth closed and hands on belly. Goal is to get students to breathe through nose and use their diaphragm. There should be very little movement of the chest and the belly should move in and out. Can do several rounds of this activity.

Accordion Breathing

5 belly breaths with mouth closed and hands on sides of lower ribs. Goal is to get students to breathe through nose and use their diaphragm. There should be very little movement of the chest and the students should feel movement outward on the inhale. Can do several rounds of this activity.

Learn + Grow Activity

This is a fun way to tie in Math. Add everybody’s or group scores up to get a class total. Find range, median, mode of the scores. Graph the scores. Figure out the decimal, fraction, and percentage of the ball made into the cup for a given number of attempts. 

Reflect Activity

Why is it important to be honest? How do you challenge yourself without comparing yourself to a classmate? How could we make the game easier, harder?

Variations

Bounce balls off desks, carpet, once or more than once. allow partner to hold cup trying to catch it. 

  • CASEL Traits:

  • Responsible Decision Making

  • Self Management