‍🪶 FEATHERS (Under 3s / Beginner Tots):

• Children begin up close.

• A coach or parent helps guide their racket to gently hit a ball off the tee.

• The child aims to knock any part of the tower over.

• Celebrate every success with a dramatic coach reaction:
  “Hey! That was my tower! How dare you!” 😂

🎾 MAIN GAME (Coach’s Towers):

• Kids line up on floor dots and take turns hitting forehands from the tee.

• Each tries to knock down the coach’s tower across the court.

• Coaches act outraged, shouting in jest:
  “Nooo! Not my tower!” 🗣️
  “That’s the best tower in Sussex!”

• After a few minutes, move dots to the other side to focus on backhands.

• Encourage:

  • Side-on stance

  • Low-to-high swing path

  • Contact in front

🚀 PROGRESSIONS:

• Remove the tee: try drop feeds or parent feeds.

• Use cones as bonus targets or assign points to each tower.

• Introduce "power up" balls like red foam balls for higher reward.

• For older children:
  Try live feeds + one shot only per go — knock it or miss it!

👻 SEASONAL ALTERNATIVES:

🎃 Halloween – Haunted Tower Edition

• Each tower becomes a ghost’s haunted house 🏚️

• Top them with scarves, googly eyes, or balloons as ghost heads 👻

• When children knock them down, coaches wail:
  “Noooo! The ghost is free!”

• Add “Monster Mode”: Coaches throw ghost scarves at players between turns!

🎅 Christmas – Santa’s Stack

• Towers = gift stacks or chimney piles 🎁🎄

• Kids help Santa knock down the stuck presents before Christmas Eve

• Add jingle bells or decorate towers with wrapping paper!

🐣 Easter – Egg Tower Smash

• Towers = egg crates or nesting towers

• Children must “rescue the chick” by knocking down the egg towers 🐥

• Add small Easter eggs or chicks on top.

💘 Valentine’s – Love Tower Toss

• Towers represent love letters stacked in a post box 💌

• Add heart stickers or balloons — when they’re knocked over, coaches cry:
  “Not my Valentine’s mail!”

Chicken, Hero, or Twin

Equipment

·       Scarves or “tails”

·       Beanbags (one per player)

·       Rackets (foam or lightweight)

·       Footballs (size 1 or soft balls)

·       Cones for start/finish lines

Setup

·       Mark a start line and finish line.

·       1–2 defenders in the middle zone — if you have an assistant coach, they start as the defender.

·       All other players are attackers.

How to Play:

1.       Coach calls “Chicken, Hero, or Twin”:

o   Chicken – Everyone moves from start to finish.

o   Hero – One named player goes alone.

o   Twin – Two named players move together.

2.       Defenders try to snatch attackers’ tails (no touching players).

3.       If a tail is taken, the attacker joins the defenders for the rest of the round. Keep going until only one player remains — they’re the champion.

Progression Stages

1.       Stage 1 – No Rackets

o   Just tails and running/moving across the space.

o   Focus on evasion and awareness.

2.       Stage 2 – Add Rackets + Beanbags Balanced on Strings

o   Players must balance a beanbag on the racket head while avoiding defenders.

3.       Stage 3 – Dribble Footballs Hockey Style with Rackets

o   Players push or tap the footballs along the ground while avoiding defenders.

Variations

·       Add cones in the middle to weave around.

·       Make defenders “freeze” for 2 seconds after a failed snatch.

🎯 Objective: Develop ball control, teamwork, imagination, and accurate throwing in two fun phases: building and knocking down a castle.

🧱 Phase 1: Build the Castle

🧒 Children = Wheelbarrows
👩‍👧‍👦 Coaches/Parents = Builders

1. Set up a pile of traffic cones at one end of the space (the “construction site”).

2. Children start at the other end with a football each.

3. They dribble/tap their footballs carefully toward the cone pile.

4. At the pile, they stop their ball and collect 1–2 cones by hand.

5. They dribble back, delivering the cones to the adults.

6. Adults build the castle by stacking tall cones with round cones between, adding poles for height if available.

7. Continue until time runs out or the castle is tall and mighty!

💥 Phase 2: Demolish the Castle

1. Create a moat line using cones — this is the safe throwing zone.

2. Children line up with their balls ready to throw (or roll/kick for younger ones).

3. One by one, they try to knock down the castle using an overarm throw or preferred technique.

4. If time runs out or the castle is still standing — everyone is unleashed to run and kick the rest down for fun!

🪶 Feathers (Simplifications)

• Bring moat line closer

• Let younger children carry the ball rather than dribble, or don’t even carry a ball at all just collect the cones

• They can roll the ball underarm instead of throwing.

• Use beanbags instead of balls for smaller children to throw.

• Allow closer throwing distance based on age/ability.

• Adults can assist with ball control or placing cones gently.

⚡ Progressions

• Move the moat line further back

• Use a relay format: teams take turns one at a time for added structure.

• Add targets on the castle: special cones worth more points when knocked off.

• Introduce limited cones: teams must decide how to build smarter with fewer materials.

• Time each phase: e.g., 3 minutes to build, 2 minutes to demolish.

• Use different throwing techniques: underarm, overarm, one-handed, bounce before hit.

🎄 Seasonal Variations

• Christmas – Elf Builders: Build Santa’s Workshop out of cones, then knock it down with “snowballs” (white balls or beanbags). Add tinsel or paper chimneys for fun.

• Easter – Bunny Burrows: Kids hop with beanbags (Easter eggs) to help build bunny homes. Then use colourful eggs (balls) to knock down the carrot castle.

• Halloween – Haunted Tower: Kids are mini monsters helping build a haunted castle. Use soft “pumpkin balls” to destroy it! Add spooky music for atmosphere.

• Valentine’s – Love Castle: Stack “hearts” (heart-shaped cutouts or pink cones) into a tower of love. Knock it down with “love arrows” (foam balls or beanbags).

• Mother’s Day / Father’s Day – Thank You Tower: Build a tower to say thank you to mums/dads. Children can place decorated cones, then demolish together in celebration.

Bug Bashers 🐞

Story Setup:
The trolls have knocked down the forest and stolen the fruit! Some trees have survived, but they need the stolen fruits to survive.
Your job: sneak through the broken forest, collect the fallen fruit, and return it to the remaining trees without waking the trolls.

Equipment:

·       Broken trees: Traffic cones tipped on their side, scattered to make a “forest” maze.

·       Fruit: Round dome cones in various colours, placed beyond the forest.

·       Healthy trees: Tall, upright traffic cones at the far end, one per fruit colour.

How to Play:

1.     Start: Children begin at one side of the broken forest.

2.     Through the Forest:

o   Players weave through the “trees” without knocking them over.

3.     Collecting Fruit:

o   At the far side, they find the fallen fruit (round cones).

o   They can push from behind with their racket or drag from the front, but cannot use hands.

4.     Return Journey:

o   Carefully guide the fruit back through the forest.

5.     Delivery:

o   Match the fruit colour to the correct “healthy tree” (tall cone) and place it there.

Progressions:

1.     Troll Guards: Coaches or players act as trolls who try to steal fruit from anyone carrying it.

2.     Touch Penalty: If a player touches a tree, they must return to the start.

3.     Timed Rescue: Teams have 2 minutes to collect as much fruit as possible.

4.     Double Fruit: Allow players to try and carry two fruits at once (more risk, more reward).

5.     Reverse Run: Trolls can only steal fruit inside the forest — encourage careful dodging.

Variations:

·       Relay Mode: One player at a time per team collects fruit.

·       Silent Forest: No speaking allowed — if a player talks, the trolls wake up!

·       Trap Trees: Some fallen trees are “unstable” — if touched, player must freeze for 5 seconds before moving again.

Seasonal alternatives

Its always fun to adapt the game to the season, some ideas are below but you can always try a valentines addition, mothers/father’s day use your imagination.

🎄 Christmas Alternative – "Santa's Forest Rescue"
The Christmas trees have lost their baubles! Sneak through the snowy forest to collect fallen baubles (round cones) and hang them on the upright Christmas trees (tall cones). Watch out for mischievous elves trying to tangle you in tinsel! 🎁🎄🧝‍♂️

🐣 Easter Alternative – "Egg Hunt in the Woods"
The Easter Bunny has hidden eggs (round cones) deep in the forest. Carefully navigate the broken trees and retrieve the eggs without waking the snoozing foxes 🦊. Deliver the eggs to matching colour baskets at the edge of the forest. 🐰🥚🌼

🎃 Halloween Alternative – "Haunted Forest"
Spooky pumpkins (orange cones) have rolled into the haunted woods! Players must sneak past ghost trees and return the pumpkins to their spooky shrines before the witches catch them. No touching the haunted trees or the ghosts may wake! 👻🎃🕸️

🎾 🤚🔴🔵 Cone Hands

Theme: Reactions • Colours • Two-handed coordination

🗣️ Story/Script Intro

“Did you know tennis players use both hands — for balance, control, and power? Today you’ll need sharp eyes, fast feet, and your special cone hands to win the challenge!”

🧠 Purpose

• Improve colour recognition
• Develop two-handed awareness
• Encourage quick reactions
• Build fun parent-child interactions

🏗 Setup

• Every child has 2 mini traffic cones –different colours; have another set for parents so you need lots of the same colour cones e.g. blue and red
• Coaches and parents have extra coloured cones to hold up or use as “hats”
• Spread out around a tennis court, sports hall, or open space

🟢 Coach-Led Colour Calls

1. Children space out in the playing area with a cone in each hand

2. Get the children to wear the cone hands with one colour on each hand, thumb on the outside and two fingers inside, get the children to play the cones like cymbals.

3. Coach calls out a cone colour (e.g., “BLUE!”)

4. Players must lift that colour cone high in the air with the correct hand

👀 Mix it up:
• Call out “both!” to lift both cones
• Call “switch!” and have them swap cones between hands
• Add jump or spin before lifting the cone

👨‍👩‍👧 Progression 1 – Parent Hi-Five Challenge Good for small Tots

1. Pair: each child with their parent

2. Parent: holds up a coloured cone (like a signal)

3. Child: runs to the parent and hi-fives their cone with the matching cone in hand

4. Progress: to parents tricking child with calling one colour but holding up the other, swapping cones over

🔵 Progression 2 – Cone Hat Smash! Good for small Tots

1. Parents place an inflatable football on the ground

2. Add a cone hat (colourful cone placed upside down on top of the ball)

3. Children run forward and knock off the cone hat using the matching coloured cone from their hand

4. Reset and repeat with new colours

🔴 Progression 3 – Rolling Reaction Smash

1. Parents roll a football toward the child

2. As they roll, they call out a cone colour (e.g., “Red!”)

3. The child must use the matching cone to “whack” or block the rolling ball

4. Progress to trick calling; feed the ball out to left-hand colour but call right, so that the child has to scamper around and use the called hand

5. Progress to child turning away: child turns away and parent leaves it later and later to call, they need to turn and tap the ball back using the correct colour quickly.

🔴 Progression 5 – Cone hands rally (older Tots or Titans)

1. Progress from rolling, parents parent now bounce football toward the child and calls colour, child lets it bounce and hits back with correct colour.

2. Progress to rallying with parents (both wearing cone hands)

🪶 Feathers (Easier Variations)

• Use just one cone (simplify decisions)
• Use stationary balls instead of rolling
• Allow walking between stations instead of running
• Parent stands close to reduce travel distance
• Have children shout the cone colour before moving

⚡️ Progressions (Advanced Play)

Add a further progression for older children: Parent bounces ball to child and calls out a colour

• Add 2–3 colour calls in a sequence (“Red, Blue, Switch!”)
• Use small foam balls instead of inflatable balls
• Have kids spin before cone contact
• Race format: Which pair finishes all colour calls first?

·       Switch to two rackets and call left and right instead of colours

🌸 Seasonal Variations

🎄 Christmas – “Santa’s Helpers”
• Red = Santa hat 🎅
• Green = Elf cone 🧝
• Knock off “presents” (cones on foam balls) into Santa’s sleigh

🎃 Halloween – “Pumpkin Smash”
• Orange cones = pumpkins 🎃
• Add ghost/witch sound effects when running to smash cones
• Call it the "Haunted Hat Whack!"

🌼 Easter – “Bunny Bounce”
• Use pink and yellow cones as Easter eggs
• Children must “hop” to each cone hat to knock it off with their matching egg-cone

❤️ Valentine’s Day – “Cupid’s Cone Catch”
• Pink and red cones
• “Catch” the love heart cone and match with a parent hug/high-five

🧺 Finishing Touch

Let children help collect cones and balls at the end — encourage sorting them into the right tubs or colours. Reward effort, teamwork, and listening.

A fun indoor game developing coordination, awareness, and simple rallying skills.

⏱️ Duration:

5–15 minutes

🎤 Coach Script / Setup:

"Today we’re going to play Balloon Match! You’ll work together with your adult as a doubles team. Your goal is to keep the balloon off your floor and try to land it on your opponent’s side. You can hit it as many times as you need — just don’t let it fall!"

• Set up multiple small courts using:

  • Mini-nets, cones, benches, or rows of tubs and tees

• Each court = 2 children and 2 parents (doubles match)

• One balloon per court

🧱 Court Zones:

• Add "no-go zones" (using cones) 1–2 metres on each side of the net/barrier to:

  • Prevent children colliding while both go for a balloon in the middle

  • Encourage spatial awareness and teamwork

🔁 Gameplay:

• Children and adults can tap the balloon as many times as needed

• Goal = get balloon over the net/barrier and land on opponent's floor

• If it lands on the floor, that team scores a point

• Games can go to 3 or 5 points before switching partners or opponents

• End every round with a high-five or handshake

🪶 Feathers (Simplifications):

• Younger children can:

  • Be allowed to catch and release the balloon

  • Move closer to the net or remove the barrier entirely

⚡️ Progressions (Older or Confident Children):

1. 1-on-1 Matches: Child vs child, with adult umpiring

2. Limit touches before having to hit baloon over, three touches, two and then has to go straight over.

3. Swap Balloon for Inflatable Football:

   • Allow 2 bounces

   • Child can catch and throw/hit back, but must stay in position

4. 1 Bounce Rally Game:

   • One bounce allowed

   • Use inflatable/foam balls

   • Encourage racket use (forehands, two-hand backhands)

✅ Coaching Focus:

• Encourage controlled touches

• Praise teamwork and fair play

• Reinforce spatial awareness (no-go zone and partner coordination)

• Highlight importance of rallying and soft hands

🎯 Objective

Keep the balloon in the air using any part of the body or racket. Don’t let it touch the ground – or it gets very upset! 😢

Note: some young children may not like balloons, please use your judgement; if a child is not happy with balloons please give them something else to do, scarf, ball, etc…

👟 Setup

• NB doesn’t work with any wind at all so it's better inside

• Children sat in a circle or group

• Balloons hidden inside a bag (e.g. drawstring sack)

• 1–2 balloons blown up in advance

🗣️ Coach Introduction Script

"I've brought something very special in this bag... can anyone guess what it is?"
(Play the guessing game for a minute)
"It's a balloon! But not just any balloon... these are full of air, and they absolutely love floating in the sky 🌤️. But if they touch the ground or stop moving... they get very upset!"
(Make funny sad/crying sounds)
"We have to keep them happy by keeping them in the air! You can use your hands, feet, head, shoulders… even rackets – just don’t let them drop!"

🎈 How to Play

1. Coach releases a balloon into the air.

2. Players must keep it in the air using any body part or a racket.

3. If the balloon touches the ground or is held too long – coach makes a silly “crying” noise and resets the game.

4. Optional: Add more balloons for chaos & teamwork!

IMPORTANT: IF THE SPACE IS TOO SMALL PLEASE DO NOT USE RACKETS TO AVOID INJURY!

🪶 Feather Levels (Differentiation)

🪶 One Feather – Starter

• Only one balloon in play

• Use hands only

• Coach helps redirect the balloon

🪶🪶 Two Feathers – Developing

• Add more balloons

• Encourage racket use

• Players must stay in their own space

🪶🪶🪶 Three Feathers – Confident

• Keep balloon aloft for 10+ hits

• Count aloud each hit

• Use only rackets or only non-dominant hand

• Introduce small challenges (e.g. spin before hitting, or tap it to a partner)

🔁 Progressions & Variations

• 🧢 Team Rally: Count how many touches as a team before balloon drops

• 🏃‍♂️ Movement Balloon: Must travel from one cone to another while keeping balloon up

• 🎯 Target Zones: Tap the balloon over a line or into a hoop

• ⛔ No Hands Round: Only use feet, knees, or rackets

• 🧦 Balloon Chase: Everyone has a balloon to chase and keep up

Great for summer camps

Objective

Build, defend, and attack a makeshift fort using teamwork and serving accuracy.

Setup

·       One team constructs a “fort” in the centre of the court using tennis nets (coaches help for speed), cones, and a large parachute for shelter. They have a set time limit (e.g. 3–5 minutes) to complete their build.

·       During this time, the opposing team spreads out around the court collecting “ammunition” (soft balls, foam balls, etc.).

How to play

1.       Once time is up, the attacking team lines up around a marked firing radius (created using cones).

2.       Players take turns serving balls into the fort, aiming to get them past the fort’s defences and through the structure to the players inside.

3.       Defenders must stay seated inside the fort and cannot block shots.

4.       Count and score how many balls make it through.

5.       Teams then swap roles – attackers become builders and vice versa.

Skills Developed

·       Teamwork and problem-solving (building phase)

·       Serving accuracy and power control (attacking phase)

·       Spatial awareness and tactical creativity

Coaching Tips

·       Encourage creativity in building – test different ways to prop up the parachute.

·       Challenge kids to improve accuracy with progressive serving distances.

·       Optionally reward best fort design and most accurate attacker!

Around the World- Tennis Titans and Tennis Troopers

• Divide players into two teams, each lining up behind opposite baselines.

• One player from each line steps in to hit the ball, then runs around the outside of the court to the end of the opposite line.

• Continue the rally in this “round-the-world” pattern.

• If a player misses or hits out, they’re eliminated.

• When two players remain, they play a final rally to determine the winner.

• Emphasizes movement, timing, and rally pressure.

• Optional: give each player 2 lives before they’re out.

  🟢 Easier Variants:

• Players rally with coach and rotate on same side (better for smaller groups)

• Players may tap or control the ball on their racket before hitting it over.

• Allow unlimited bounces before hitting for beginners.

• Use larger balls (e.g. foam ball/football) to slow the game down.

• Give the children three lives

• Encourage cooperative goals (e.g. “Let’s make it 10 hits as a team before anyone is out”).

• Allow players to catch and drop-hit the ball if needed.

Backhands 🎾

🎯 🎾 Backhands – Tennis Tots/Titans Teaching Guide

The backhand is usually the second shot children will learn, and sometimes is best taught as forehand from the other side, i.e. same principles: Sideways on to the ball, low to high, finish over the opposite shoulder. The hitting hand should go above the non-hitting (often they get this the wrong way around)

Demonstrate: Children will learn from watching the coaches, so please demonstrate a backhand at every level. Please see the video for good forehand and backhand technique: https://youtu.be/oOsmGn2_piE?si=tdTf6v6pINvWlD8q         

🧸 One hand or two?

Two... At Tots or Titans age, we would encourage two hands on the racket for a backhand with the hitting hand on the bottom. If a child is keen to hit with one hand then this should be encouraged to at least try, but it will take a lot longer to learn. Good 1 had backhand technique video:  https://youtu.be/L3ZzViOphWc?si=zjpKB7ztGLg2m0LM    

Backhand progressions starting in Tots

·       Hitting on tees. Even if the tots have advanced past hitting on tees on forehand, it may be useful to return to tees for backhand, to have a stationary target.

·       Technique is to simply drop the racket head (wrist) below the ball, and lift over the shoulder after contact. Make sure racket race is not too open on takeback, and swing doesn’t get too big, dominant hand above non-dominant on grip

·       Drop feeding; usually parent-led; players can drop feed themselves, but it can be a bit awkward with the second hand on the racket

·       Spin machines: great for getting feel of brushing up the ball

·       Left-handed forehands: If it isn’t too confusing, you can introduce some left-handed forehands to encourage the dominance of the left hand

·       Slow the balls down as much as possible to give the child time to perform the correct technique; use footballs, big foam, mini-red.

·       Once the child has started hitting backhand mix between forehand and backhand fees to get the feel of grip changes and body rotations.

·       Start to work on accuracy, aiming both cross-court and down the line.

🎯 Around the Cone – 5–10 mins

Theme: Movement, shot repetition, and coordination.
Ideal Age: 5–9 years

🧠 Objective

• Improve forehand/backhand technique
• Introduce dynamic sideways movement
• Build coordination and rhythm
• Reinforce turn-taking and focus while waiting

🎬 Story/Intro Script

“Today we’re going to hit some awesome shots and move around the cone like sideways-stepping crabs! Can you shuffle fast like a crab on the beach and still stay ready for the next ball? Let’s see your crab feet in action!”

🏗 Set-Up

• Line up 2–3 children near the baseline on one side of the court
• Place a large cone around 2–3 steps to the left or right of hitting spot (based on hand being practised)
• Coach or parent stands ready to drop-feed or racket-feed a forehand (or backhand)
• A second coach or parent supports movement or collects balls
• A few “Spin Machines” (e.g., spin tees or drop-serve stations) available for kids waiting in queue

🔁 How to Play

1. Child steps forward to hitting spot

2. Coach/parent feeds a ball to their forehand (or backhand)

3. After the hit, child sidesteps (crab-style) around the cone placed to the side

4. Once around the cone, child joins the back of the queue

5. Waiting children can warm up on spin machines or practise racket taps

🪶 Feathers – Easier Variations

• Use slower balloon or foam ball feed for younger children
• Shorten the crab movement (1 sidestep instead of 3)
• Let parents stand with child to help guide racket movement
• Remove cone entirely for very young children—just focus on hitting and returning

⚡ Progressions – Older Kids / More Challenge

• Add a second cone (zig-zag movement) before they rejoin queue
• Make it a combo hit: forehand, sidestep, then backhand before going around the cone
• Feed at faster tempo
• Add a scoring system (e.g., 1 point for every clean hit)
• Silent round: no talking while playing or moving!

🎉 Seasonal Variations

🌸 Spring / Easter:
• “Hop around the Easter Egg” – place an egg cut-out or pastel cone to sidestep around
• Use bunny ears or hop once before hitting

🎃 Halloween:
• “Creep around the Cauldron” – decorate the cone with spooky theme, tiptoe around like ghosts

🎄 Christmas:
• “Slide around the Snowman” – decorate cone with paper snowman; play to festive music

❤️ Valentine’s Day:
• “Sway around the Heart” – use heart-shaped markers or red cones

👑 Royal Jubilee / National Theme:
• “March around the Crown” – royal-themed cone, pretend you’re guarding the palace

Best for older Tots or Titans

Setup

·       Place flat marker spots (“islands”) around the court or playing area, spaced out so there’s room to move between them.

·       Each child starts with a racket and a beanbag balanced on it.

How to Play

1.     Children move around the space balancing their beanbags on their rackets.

2.     The coach blows a whistle or calls “Move!/GO!” to start movement, and “Islands!” to signal that they must find an island to stand on.

3.     After each round, remove one or more islands to create a shortage.

4.     The last child to reach an island is out (or does a fun forfeit like 5 star jumps before re-joining).

Variations:

Movement Changes:

·       Walking, jogging, running

·       Crab walks, bunny hops, skipping, backwards walking

·       Side-steps, cross-overs, zig-zag patterns

Balancing Challenges:

·       Flip the beanbag and catch it before landing it back on the racket while moving

·       Swap the beanbag for a tennis ball (harder to balance)

·       Use smaller rackets or turn the racket upside-down (handle up) for extra difficulty

·       Add a “one-hand only” rule (non-dominant hand for advanced players)

Extra Game Elements:

·       Safe Zone Rule: Instead of being “out,” players without a dot do 5 keep-ups, a short rally with a partner, or a mini challenge before re-joining.

·       Island Types: Colour-code spots to mean different tasks (e.g., blue = balance on one leg, red = bounce the ball 3 times before staying).

·       Moving Islands: Coach or helpers slowly move a spot during play—players can chase it to claim it.

·       Double Trouble: Two players must share the same island without dropping their beanbags.

Scoring Option: Award points for each successful island claim instead of eliminating players—the winner is the one with the most points after a set number of rounds.

Seasonal Variants

🎄 Christmas – “Melting Ice Floes” 🧊🎅

The islands are icebergs floating in the North Pole!
🎁 Santa’s helpers (children) must carefully cross the icy sea with presents (beanbags) balanced on their sleds (rackets).
When the coach yells "Freeze!", they must find an ice floe to land on — but some are melting (remove spots each round)!
🔁 Swap beanbags for wrapped foam presents or red/green beanbags for extra festivity.

🐣 Easter – “Hopping Egg Islands” 🐰🥚

Kids are Easter Bunnies hopping around with eggs (beanbags or small balls) balanced on their spoons (rackets).
Coach shouts "Bunny Burrow!" and kids must jump onto a safe island.
🌼 Use egg-shaped beanbags and add bunny hop or egg-flip challenges during movement rounds.

🎃 Halloween – “Ghost Island Dash” 👻🍬

Players are trick-or-treaters carrying candy on their trays (beanbags on rackets), moving through a haunted forest.
Coach shouts “BOO!” — and they must dash to the nearest safe zone (spot) before the ghosts get them!
🎃 Some spots can be “haunted” (e.g., red spots = hold your breath, or spin once before continuing).

💘 Valentine’s – “Heart Islands” 💖💌

Children are mail carriers delivering love letters (beanbags) on heart-shaped trays (rackets).
When the coach calls “Delivery Time!”, they rush to find an island mailbox (marker spot).
💌 Use red/pink beanbags and let some spots have a “Love Challenge” (e.g., say something kind before rejoining).

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Mother’s/Father’s Day – “Breakfast in Bed” 🍳☕

Kids are servers carrying breakfast on trays (beanbags), trying not to spill!
Coach yells “Wake up!”, and they must safely reach a bed (spot) before mum or dad sees the mess.
🌞 Add creative tasks like balancing on one leg or delivering to specific colours for “tea,” “toast,” or “fruit.”

Seasonal variation for the 🐣 Easter version of Whac-a-Mole, now featuring Easter eggs instead of bunnies:

🧠 Whac-a-Mole – Seasonal Variations (Updated)

🎄 Christmas – Whack-a-Grinch
Use green cones with balls on top to represent mischievous Grinches! Children dribble with their rackets to the Grinch wall and try to knock them down with controlled swings — careful not to wake Santa! 🎅💥

🐣 Easter – Whack-an-Easter Egg
Use pastel-coloured cones with egg-shaped balls or decorated beanbags on top. These are hidden Easter Eggs! Kids must dribble toward the Easter wall and carefully “whack” the eggs off using their racket — each one reveals a surprise! 🥚🌈

🎃 Halloween – Whack-a-Ghost
Transform cones into ghostly shapes using white cloth or stickers and place balls on top. Children sneak toward the haunted line and try to knock off the spooky ghosts with their racket. 👻🎾

💘 Valentine’s Day – Whack-a-Heart
Place pink or red cones with heart-shaped stickers and small balls on top. Kids take turns knocking down the hearts — one swing at a time — sharing giggles with their racket buddies 💘🏹

👩 Mother’s Day / 👨 Father’s Day – Whack-a-Flower Pot
Set up cones like colourful flower pots with balls as blossoms. Kids “whack” off the old petals to “help the garden grow” for Mum or Dad 🌸🪴 — perfect for Springtime creativity.

🎯 Purpose: Improve balance, colour recognition, Category: Finishing Game 2-5minutes

Equipment Needed: Colourful scarves (tails)

How to Play

Each child wears a tail (colourful scarf) tucked into their waistband, trousers, or the back of their shirt like a cape. Once everyone is ready, children run around the space while a parent or carer chases them, trying to grab the tail. Once caught, the roles swap—kids become the chasers and try to grab their parents' tails!

☀️ Coach Tips

✅ Only parents or carers should attach the scarf "tails" to children.

✅ Make sure tails are tucked in securely but not too tight.

✅ Encourage lots of running, laughter and swapping roles.

✅ Reinforce taking turns and fair play.

🪶 Feathers (Simplify)

Children can start by simply running with tails and not be chased. Parents jog slowly or walk for younger children.

🔁 Progression (Challenge)

Add multiple parents and tails.

Reduce number of tails so multiple children are chasing same children

Have one tail and catcher has to wear

🎯 Focus: Throwing accuracy, technique to develop serving, and fun competition

🧰 Set-Up

Set up a tennis net or cone barrier across the middle of the space 

Place tennis balls on top of hitting tees or cones (hitting tees work better) along the other side of the net/barrier — these are the “coconuts”

🏹 How to Play

Ask the kids “have they ever been to a summer fete?...Seen a coconut shy? “

Children stand behind a line or designated throw zone. The aim is to knock the coconuts (balls) off the tees

Correct Technique

Sideways stance; ball or beanbag behind the ear to allow elbow to bend. Encourage to use entire body to rotate up and outwards. Serving development: Explain to children and Parents how good throwing technique is important for later serving development. If you are able demonstrate first a serve and then a throw to show the similarities

Coaches or assistants recycle beanbags and move around the group, checking technique and providing praise or small corrections. Move to foam balls when run out of beanbags

🔁 Progressions

🎯 Move the throw line further back to increase difficulty

🪁 Add a challenge round — 3 throws each, how many can you hit?

🔄 Kids pair up and count each other’s hits (scorekeeping)

🪶 Feathers – Younger Children

✅ Let younger kids move closer to the net/barrier or even remove barrier entirely

☀️ Coach Tips

·       Keep the pace lively – have spare beanbags ready

·       Use visual and verbal cues: “Let’s knock those coconuts down!”

·       Clap and cheer when a child gets one – even close throws should be praised

Try to impart correct technique (sideways and behind ear) but don’t over-correct – focus on fun and effort