Tennis Obstacle Course Challenge! 🎾🏁⚽
🎾 Tennis Obstacle Course Challenge! 🏁⚽
A high-energy, skill-building circuit that brings tennis and movement together in the most exciting way!
Kids must dribble large footballs with control using their tennis rackets, manoeuvring through a series of fun and challenging stations before hitting the ball over the net. Perfect for developing coordination, balance, and racket skills!
🔶 Station 1: Double Cone Circles
Navigate around two tall traffic cones, dribbling the ball in a figure-of-eight pattern. Once both circles are complete, race to the net and hit the ball over with forehand/backhand or serve
🔶 Station 2: Slalom Weave
Dribble in and out through a classic cone slalom. Stay tight and controlled—then line up and strike the ball over the net when you reach the end with forehand/backhand or serve
🔶 Station 3: Wiggly Tunnel
Enter the cone tunnel! Stick carefully to the wiggly lines between the cones, making sure the ball stays within the path. Finish strong with a shot over the net with forehand/backhand or serve
👨🏫 Coach Tips:
Coaches stand on the opposite side of the net to collect and recycle footballs.
For younger players: allow hands or multiple touches to help with ball control.
For older players: at the end of the course, they must reach into the ball tub and hit a forehand, backhand, or serve over the net to score!
🏗️ Additional Station Ideas:
🔁 Hurdle Zone – Go over one, under the next! Great for agility.
🌲 Broken Forest – A wide spread of random cones the player must dribble through with quick reactions.
High rail – use two parallel hurdles to create a high rail to push footballs across
🎯 Target Zone – Place hoops, cones, or bins on the opposite side of the net for kids to aim at with their shot!
Make it competitive 🏁 -Award points for success and declare winners, or you can split the kids into teams.
Tennis Hockey 🏑🎾
🏒 Story / Theme:
Two teams face off in a fast-paced hockey-style game — but with 🎾 tennis rackets and ⚽ balls instead of sticks and pucks! Pass, block, and score goals while keeping it safe.
🎯 Equipment:
• 🥅 4 small goals (2 per team, placed at opposite ends or sides)
• ⚽ 1 football
• 🎾 1 racket per player
• 🟧 Cones to mark safe play areas and boundaries
🎮 How to Play:
🔵🔴 Split players into two teams (use bibs)
🥅 Set up two mini goals per team, spaced apart to encourage passing.
🏑 Players use tennis rackets to push or tap the ball hockey-style (no swinging).
⏱️ 3-second rule: Players must pass within 3 seconds of receiving — encourage quick decision-making and team play.
🛡️ Defenders may intercept or block shots but no tackling or physical contact.
🔁 Play starts from the centre after every goal.
🧑🤝🧑 Teams may assign positions (attackers, defenders, goalkeepers).
🚀 Progressions:
⏱ Timed Possession: Pass within 3 seconds.
🗺️ Zones: Mark attack, midfield, and defence zones — rotate roles.
🎯 Multiple Balls: Add a second ball to increase speed and chaos.
⚡ One-Touch Passing: Ball must be played instantly on contact.
🎲 Variations:
• 🔄 Score Anywhere: Any goal counts — encourages switching sides.
• 📏 Goal Size Change: Make goals smaller for older kids.
• ✨ Double Points: Bonus points for 3+ consecutive passes before scoring.
Tennis Golf 🏌️♂️
🎯 Tennis Golf
⏱️ Duration: 10–15 minutes: This game would usually run through two or maybe three phases, as is a circuit.
🏗️ Setup & Intro:
Organise children into lines or circles depending on space. Gather everyone together to explain the stations and demonstrate how swing path and racket trajectory change based on the type of shot.
Coach sets up three stations:
🏌️♂️ Drivers
• Use hitting tees to practise forehands.
• Aim to hit with control and distance along the full length of the hall.
• Emphasise low-to-high swing and follow-through.
🏹 Chippers
• For younger kids: hit off a tee or be drop-fed by parents.
• For confident children: self drop-feed.
• Goal: hit the ball high and land it into buckets placed at varying distances.
• Focus on arc, control, and soft hands.
⛳ Putters
• Use soft balls to roll along the ground into upturned plastic tubs.
• Children perform forward-and-backward racket movements, keeping the ball rolling smoothly (not bouncing).
• Emphasise racket face control and touch.
⚡ Progressions (Advanced):
• Introduce topspin technique at all three stations.
• Encourage confident players to control ball height and spin, especially at the Chipper and Putter stations.
🎾 Technical Focus:
• Swing path (low to high)
• Racket angle and face control
• Topspin development
• Control over power
Tennis Fairground 🎪
🟧 General Layout:
Divide the space into four activity zones using cones as boundaries.
Each zone runs horizontally across the court or hall.
Kids move station-to-station, ideally in a clockwise or zig-zag pattern.
Coaches/parents stationed to help with resetting targets and giving technical tips.
🔢 Stations:
1️⃣ Strong Man
Kids hit from a tee (or drop feed) toward the far wall, aiming for distance.
Older kids can hit with more power, younger ones can hit closer.
Use cones to mark out zones they reach for bonus challenges.
For older players, vary to backhands and serves
2️⃣ Chip the Bucket
Multiple small buckets/tubs grouped ahead.
Players chip the ball using a forehand motion (from tee or drop-feed).
Emphasis on height and accuracy to land balls in the tubs.
Label this as “Chipping Zone”
For older players, vary to backhands and serves
3️⃣ Carnival Putters
A straight putting lane with drop-down lines players must stay behind.
Kids gently roll the ball along the floor aiming into upturned tubs.
Focus on pace control, and keeping the ball on the ground and not too hard or the ball will bounce in and out again.
4️⃣ Coconut Shy
Players throw beanbags at balls placed on tees, aiming to knock them off.
Use cones to mark a throwing line they must stay behind.
Optional: Add silly targets like cone towers or “coconuts” for extra fun.
Star Wars Throwing Game 🌌
🌌 Star Wars Throwing Game – “Battle of the Asteroid Belt”
🎯 Objective: Develop aim, accuracy, and decision-making through an imaginative, fast-paced throwing challenge!
🌠 Story Script Intro
“Welcome, young Jedi! 🧑🚀🛰️ The galaxy is in chaos, and your mission is to launch stars into the asteroid belt and knock the comets and planets into your opponent’s solar system! Beware – the Dark Side cheats, so stay behind your lines and throw with focus. May the Force be with you!”
🧠 Skills Focus
• Overarm and underarm throwing
• Aim and target control
• Teamwork and decision-making
• Fun, energetic movement
🏗️ Set-Up:
Space Zone: Set up two parallel lines of traffic cones across the court to create the asteroid belt (centre zone).
Inside the belt:
Scatter balloons (comets)
Perch inflatable balls or foam balls on round cones (planets)
Create a team zone at either end of the hall.
Provide each team with soft balls (“stars”) to throw.
🎮 How to Play:
1. Divide children into 2–3 teams at opposite ends of the space.
2. On the coach’s signal, children throw soft balls into the asteroid belt.
3. Aim: Knock balloons and inflatable planets over the central line into the other team’s zone.
4. Each time a balloon or ball lands in the opponent’s solar system, your team scores!
5. Coaches may recycle stars back to keep the game flowing.
6. No stepping into the asteroid belt – if a player crosses the line, the other team gets a point!
🪶 Feathers – Simplifications for Younger Children:
Use larger balls or balloons only for easier targets.
Allow rolling or underarm throws only.
Let parents or assistants help place balls back on cones.
Use a smaller space and bring the targets closer.
Remove the “no-step” rule for walking-age children.
⚡ Progressions – For Older Kids:
1. Timed Rounds: 1-minute attacks! Who can knock down the most?
2. Precision Targets: Assign points to each object (e.g. 1 for balloon, 2 for big ball, 3 for cone).
3. One-Handed Jedi Throwing: Use non-dominant hand only.
4. Bounce Hit Challenge: Players must bounce the ball off the ground before hitting targets.
5. Team Roles: Attackers throw, Defenders place targets back upright.
🎭 Seasonal Variations:
🎃 Halloween – “Pumpkin Panic”
Use orange balloons as “floating pumpkins” and black cones as haunted trees. Kids become witch apprentices blasting spooky objects into the other zone.
🐣 Easter – “Eggsplosion!”
Use pastel balloons as “Easter Eggs” and challenge kids to knock them over to uncover hidden bunnies underneath the cones.
🎅 Christmas – “Snowball Strike”
Use white balloons as “snowballs” and inflatable baubles as “Christmas planets” — can they knock Santa’s sleigh safely to the other galaxy?
💘 Valentine’s Day – “Heart Attack!”
Use pink/red balloons with paper hearts inside – each heart has a compliment or silly dare!
🏁 End Game Idea:
Do a Galactic Blitz Round – everyone throws at once, chaos ensues, laughter guaranteed. Then settle with a Jedi meditation cooldown 😌🧘♂️
Smash the Wall 🧱🎾🏰
Smash the Wall 🧱🎾🏰
🎥https://youtu.be/h38KZ5lFg28?si=LF5BfbctcfVbI4DQ
📝 Setup & Explanation
Line the children up at a safe distance from the wall.
Sit them down and explain the rules clearly before starting.
Build a “wall” out of traffic cones:
Tallest cones at the back
Quickly build tall towers by using circular cones between tall cones
Smallest at the front
🏓 How to Play
Each child dribbles their big inflatable ball along the ground with their racket towards the wall.
When they reach the wall/ hitting line, they whack their ball to knock down as many cones as possible.
They leave their ball there, collect a new one, and repeat until attention starts to wander. Coach recycles balls to start
To finish: let kids kick or whack down the wall (with or without balls).
🔁 Progressions
Create a hitting line/ move the hitting line further back so children have further to aim
Encourage children pick ball up and let bounce before hitting forehand (in air rather than floor); switch to backhands/ serves
Add a time challenge: how many cones can they knock down in 30 seconds?
Make it team-based: two teams try to knock down their half of the wall first.
🪶 Feathers (Simplifications)
Let children carry the ball to the wall if dribbling is too hard.
Use smaller gaps between cones so they’re easier to hit.
Have parents or assistants help guide the ball with the child’s racket.
Let really little children just hit the cones over without using ball at all.
⚠️ Safety Notes
Remind children to keep a safe distance while others are hitting.
Tell parents to help monitor their child’s spacing.
Be careful of potential bumps from rackets or cones.
🎾 Smash the Wall – Seasonal Themes
🎄 Christmas – Smash the Christmas Chimney 🎅🎁
The wall becomes a chimney made of stacked presents (cones in red, green, gold).
🎯 Goal: Break the chimney so Santa can deliver the gifts!
Swap inflatable balls for "snowballs" (white balloons or foam balls).
Finish with a fun “snowball fight” by letting the kids knock over cones however they like.
🐣 Easter – Smash the Easter Egg Tower 🐰🥚
The wall becomes a tower of colourful Easter eggs (brightly coloured cones).
🎯 Goal: Crack the giant Easter egg wall to reveal the hidden chocolate inside!
Use egg-shaped beanbags or pastel-coloured foam balls.
Final round: kids roll giant eggs (balls) to knock down the "tower."
🎃 Halloween – Smash the Haunted House 👻🏚️
The wall is now a spooky haunted house built of ghostly cones (white + black + orange).
🎯 Goal: Break down the haunted house before the monsters escape!
Add Halloween music and decorate cones with eyes or cobwebs.
Coach can wear a witch or skeleton hat for extra effect!
💘 Valentine’s – Smash the Heart Wall 💘🏹
Make a heart-shaped wall or decorate cones with hearts/stickers.
🎯 Goal: Knock down the "Wall of Hearts" to release the trapped love messages inside!
Use pink and red balls or balloons.
Final round: shout “Love Attack!” and let all children charge and knock down the wall together.
👩 Mother’s Day / 👨 Father’s Day – Smash the Chore Tower 🧹🛠️
Each cone represents a silly "chore" (e.g., “Do the dishes,” “Make lunch,” etc.).
🎯 Goal: Help mum/dad by smashing through all the chores so they can rest!
Add a funny story intro: “Let’s clear all the jobs before Mum/Dad gets home!”
Encourage kids to yell out a chore before smashing each cone.
Sleeping Giants 😴🏰🏑
Sleeping Giants 😴🏰🏑
Story / Theme:
The giants are fast asleep in their lair, but if they wake up, they’ll try to steal your ball! Keep moving, keep control, and stay out of reach.
Equipment:
Large inflatable balls (one per child + extras)
Rackets (for adults and children)
Cones to mark the giants’ lair (circle in the middle)
How to Play:
1. Assistant coaches form a circle lying down inside the lair, pretending to be asleep — each with a racket.
2. Children move around the room dribbling large inflatable balls hockey-style with their rackets.
3. At random, the coach shouts: “Wake up, sleeping giants!”
4. The giants jump up and try to steal the children’s balls by reaching in with their rackets and tackling their ball and returning it to the lair.
5. If a child loses their ball, the child either sits out or finds another ball and continues playing.
Progressions: Role Swap: Children take turns being the sleeping giants (for those who want to).
Timed Wakes: Giants wake up every 30–40 seconds to keep children on their toes.
Double Trouble: Have two lairs so children must watch more than one area.
NOTE: Often, the children prefer being the giants themselves, so you can just play a quick game with them chasing, and then play the rest of the game with them as giants.
Variations:
Safe Zones: Create small cone “safe spots” where children can stop for 3 seconds before rejoining play.
Treasure Return: Children can try to sneak into the lair to steal back balls without being caught.
Seasonal variations for your Sleeping Giants 😴🏰🏑 game, perfect for weaving in a touch of imagination and celebration during different parts of the year:
·
· 🎄 Christmas – Sleeping Snowmen
· ☃️ The snowmen are snoozing in their snowy cave! But if they wake up, they'll roll after your snowballs (inflatable balls)!
🎅 Coaches = snowmen with red scarves and foam rackets
🧤 Optional twist: kids wear gloves/mittens to make dribbling trickier
🎁 Balls = snowballs or presents they must protect
·
· 🎃 Halloween – Haunted House of Mummies
· 🧟♂️ The spooky mummies are asleep in the haunted house... but when they wake, they lurch after your cursed pumpkins!
🎃 Balls = inflatable orange pumpkins
👻 Add cobwebs or Halloween music for theme
💀 Mummies = coaches wrapped in toilet paper or using “ghost rackets” (white foam)
·
· 🐣 Easter – Sleeping Chicks
· 🐥 The giant chicks are snoozing in their coop — but if woken, they’ll peck at your Easter eggs (balls)!
🥚 Decorate balls with pastel dots or stickers
🐰 Kids try to sneak past the coop (giant lair) without waking them
🍬 Wake-up cue: “Cock-a-doodle-doooo!”
·
· 💘 Valentine’s – Sleeping Cupids
· 💘 Cupids are resting in their heart-shaped clouds, but if disturbed, they try to snatch your love letters (balls)!
💌 Dribble the “letters” safely without being tapped by the cupids' rackets
❤️ Add pink/red cones and heart decorations to the lair
·
· 👩👧👦 Mother’s/Father’s Day – Snoozing Parents Game
· 😴 Mum and Dad are trying to nap, but noisy kids are playing with bouncy breakfast items (eggs, toast = balls).
🥱 If parents wake up, they try to “scoop” the breakfast and go back to sleep!
🥐 Make balls food-themed with stickers or call-outs like “Don’t drop the toast!”
Siege the Castle 🏰
SERVES AND SHIELDS 🛡️
Focus: Split-step, anticipation, blocking, serving and returning
Ages: Titans or Troopers
Duration: 6–10 mins
🎤 Coach Script / Setup
“Today you are defenders — you’re using your rackets as shields to block incoming balls. Can you protect yourself like a superhero or a knight?”
Space out children across the playing area.
Each child holds a racket in front of them (two hands if possible), standing in split-step position (knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart, alert).
Coaches, parents, or older children act as “servers” (or attackers).
Use foam balls and serve gently toward the children’s bodies (belly height or legs).
Children must react quickly and block the ball using the sweet spot of their racket — no swinging, just controlled blocks.
Encourage a mini jump or hop (split-step) just as the server makes contact with the ball.
🪶 Feathers (for younger / less confident children):
Let children catch the ball with their hands first to practice tracking.
Use larger softballs or balloons for slower movement.
Parents can kneel beside them and help guide racket to ball.
Have them stand closer to the server to reduce ball speed.
⚡️ Progressions (for older / confident children):
Get some of the kids to serve
Decrease the distance between servers and the blockers.
Encourage quicker split-step reactions and back to the ready position.
Add directional blocking — bring servers 360 degrees from all directions
Try team version: Line of blockers vs. 1–2 servers, then rotate.
Last man standing! Last person to get hit wins
Introduce scoring: 1 point for each successful block; swap roles after 1 minute.
IMPORTANT: IF KIDS ARE HITTING, YOU MUST USE SOFT BALLS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE FULLY SPACED OUT TO MINIMISE RISK OF IMPACT.
SERVES AND SHIELDS 🛡️
SERVES AND SHIELDS 🛡️
Focus: Split-step, anticipation, blocking, serving and returning
Ages: Titans or Troopers
Duration: 6–10 mins
🎤 Coach Script / Setup
“Today you are defenders — you’re using your rackets as shields to block incoming balls. Can you protect yourself like a superhero or a knight?”
Space out children across the playing area.
Each child holds a racket in front of them (two hands if possible), standing in split-step position (knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart, alert).
Coaches, parents, or older children act as “servers” (or attackers).
Use foam balls and serve gently toward the children’s bodies (belly height or legs).
Children must react quickly and block the ball using the sweet spot of their racket — no swinging, just controlled blocks.
Encourage a mini jump or hop (split-step) just as the server makes contact with the ball.
🪶 Feathers (for younger / less confident children):
Let children catch the ball with their hands first to practice tracking.
Use larger softballs or balloons for slower movement.
Parents can kneel beside them and help guide racket to ball.
Have them stand closer to the server to reduce ball speed.
⚡️ Progressions (for older / confident children):
Get some of the kids to serve
Decrease the distance between servers and the blockers.
Encourage quicker split-step reactions and back to the ready position.
Add directional blocking — bring servers 360 degrees from all directions
Try team version: Line of blockers vs. 1–2 servers, then rotate.
Last man standing! Last person to get hit wins
Introduce scoring: 1 point for each successful block; swap roles after 1 minute.
IMPORTANT: IF KIDS ARE HITTING, YOU MUST USE SOFT BALLS AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE FULLY SPACED OUT TO MINIMISE RISK OF IMPACT.
Rounders🎾
🏏 Objective:
Score as many runs as possible by hitting the ball and running around bases before the fielders return the ball.
🔧 Equipment:
Tennis racket (used as the bat)
Soft tennis ball or sponge ball
4 bases (cones)
Fielding team and batting team (about 6–8 kids per side)
One coach or player acts as feeder (pitcher)
👥 Teams:
Divide the group into 2 teams: Batting and Fielding
Switch roles after all batters have had a turn (or after 3 outs)
📝 Basic Rules:
1. Batting:
Each batter gets one underarm feed (or two for younger players).
They must hit the ball with the racket and run to at least first base.
If they make it around all 4 bases = 1 full rounder (run)
If they make it to 2nd or 3rd base and get stuck, they stay there. Next batter continues.
2. Running:
You can run on a hit or miss (if ball is in play).
Only one runner per base.
If a batter overtakes another runner, the overtaker is out.
Batters must run in one direction (no backtracking).
3. Fielding:
Fielders try to catch the ball or collect it and return it to the feeder/pitcher.
If they return the ball to the pitcher before the batter reaches the next base, the batter is out.
Catches (on the full) = batter out.
4. Outs:
A batter is out if:
The ball is caught on the full
The ball beats them back to the base i.e. they are stumped
They run backwards or miss a base
✅ Coaching Tips:
Adjust base distances for age groups
Let younger kids have 2 or 3 hits before running
Use a sponge or foam ball for safety
Rotate roles so everyone gets a chance to bat and field
Use hitting tee’s/ coach manually hits the ball.
Racket Soldiers 🪖
🎯 Target practice game to develop aim, coordination, and correct swing mechanics
⏱️ Duration:
5–8 minutes
🎤 Coach Script / Setup
“Okay troops! Your mission today is to take down the enemy soldiers — but not with swords or water balloons… with your best tennis shots! These rackets have lined up and they're daring you to knock them down! Let’s see if you’ve got the accuracy and the power!”
🧱 Game Setup
Soldiers = Spare rackets placed upright (handle/butt on ground, strings facing forward)
Place 3–6 rackets across from each child
If short on rackets, stack traffic cones and round cones into tall unstable towers to simulate soldiers
Hitting Zone = Tees or Drop Feeds
Children take turns hitting balls low to high from a hitting tee or drop feed
Distance between hitter and soldier wall depends on age/ability
Parents can help pick up and reset soldiers between turns
🔁 Gameplay
1. Children line up at their hitting station (tee or feeder).
2. One ball at a time – aim to knock over a “soldier” (racket or cone tower).
3. Hitters use forehand technique (low to high) first.
4. When soldiers fall, parents/coaches reset them quickly.
5. After a few rounds, progress to backhand or self-feed.
🪶 Feathers (Simplify for Younger Children)
Let them throw the ball underarm to start
Reduce distance to soldiers
Use larger balls for more success
Place ball in child’s hand and guide their swing together
Let parents support hand placement and help reset soldiers
⚡ Progressions (Older or Confident Children)
Drop Feed: Children toss the ball and hit it themselves instead of from a tee
Backhand Challenge: Have children switch to backhand side and adjust footwork
Hit from movement: Add a side step or small shuffle before contact
Scoring: 1 point per soldier knocked down, track team scores for competition
Timed Challenge: Knock down all soldiers in 30 seconds
🎾 Technical Coaching Tips
Emphasise low-to-high swing
Sideways stance for both forehand and backhand
Encourage early preparation – racket back and eyes on the ball
Use “split step then hit” cue if child is rushing
Praise accuracy over power – “aim not smash!”
Seasonal variations for the "Racket Soldiers" game — keeping the same gameplay (children hitting down upright rackets or cone towers), but changing the theme and props slightly to match the season:
🎄 Christmas – Knock Down the Naughty Elves
Santa’s workshop is under siege from mischievous elves who are standing upright (rackets or cone towers). Children must use their tennis balls to knock them down before they cause more trouble! Parents can help set the elves back up quickly. Optional: place little elf hats (paper cut-outs or visuals) on the top of cones/rackets for effect. 🎅🎄🎁
🎃 Halloween – Smash the Skeletons
Skeleton soldiers (white rackets or cone towers) are guarding the haunted tennis court! Kids must smash them down using tennis balls. Spooky music and “BOO!” sounds encouraged. For added fun, use glow sticks or spooky stickers on the targets. 👻🕸️💀
🐣 Easter – Topple the Chocolate Bunnies
Giant chocolate bunnies (cone towers with round cones as ears or decorated rackets) have popped up on court! Kids must gently knock them down to collect their Easter treats. Optional: place a chocolate wrapper or Easter sticker on each “bunny” to collect after it’s hit. 🐰🍫🌸
💘 Valentine’s – Cupid’s Target Practice
Cupid has lined up heart-shaped towers (use pink/red rackets or cones with heart stickers). Children aim their balls to knock them down as practice for spreading love across the land! Add red or pink beanbags as “love letters” to deliver after each successful hit. 💘🎾💌
💐 Mother’s Day – Knock Down the Flower Pots
Beautiful flower displays (cone towers or upright rackets) are blocking the tennis garden — children must gently knock them over so the flowers can be rearranged. Use round cones in pink, purple, and yellow to resemble petals. 🪻🌼🌷
👔 Father’s Day – Tip Over the Toolboxes
The tennis court has been turned into Dad’s workshop! The upright rackets or cones are now “toolboxes” standing in the way. Knock them down with tennis balls and rebuild them quickly! Add fun stickers of tools (spanners, screwdrivers) to the towers. 🧰🔧🎾
🥅 Penalties – Racket Save Challenge
🥅 Penalties – Racket Save Challenge
🏴☠️ Story Intro:
"Welcome to the Penalty Challenge! The enemy pirates are trying to fire cannonballs into your goal! Grab your racket, guard your treasure, and don’t let any balls get past you! Can you become the ultimate shot-stopper?"
🎯 Purpose:
Improve reaction time and lateral footwork
Introduce defensive movement (crab steps)
Encourage focus and fun parent/child interaction
🏗 Setup:
Each pair (parent & child) needs:
4 tall traffic cones (to build 2 mini goals – about 3 ft wide)
1 throw-down cone (start position)
1 circular cone (to rest ball on for "penalty shot")
1 inflatable ball
Place 2 goals about 8–10 ft apart
The child starts on the middle spot between goals (on the throw-down cone)
🕹 How to Play:
Parent sets the inflatable ball on a circular cone about 6 ft in front of the child.
When ready, they gently “shoot” the ball towards one of the goals.
The child uses crab side-steps and tries to block or stop the shot using their racket.
After each save attempt (or goal!), the child resets by returning to the middle cone.
Repeat shots — aim for different goals to keep it unpredictable!
🛠 Progressions:
Player Swap: Let the child have a turn doing the shooting while the parent defends (switch roles).
Racket Strike Return: Instead of blocking, the child must hit the ball back using a forward or backward swing.
Serve Defence: Use a balloon instead of a ball for a “slow motion” challenge — try to catch and volley it away mid-air.
🪶 Feathers (for younger players):
Reduce the width between the goals.
Allow children to use both hands on the racket.
Let the ball roll slower — parent can roll rather than strike.
Coach or parent stands behind the child to help guide racket movement.
🌈 Seasonal Variations:
🎃 Pumpkin Penalties: Use orange balloons as pumpkin cannonballs.
❄️ Snowball Saves: Use white foam balls as "snowballs" from Frost Giants.
💖 Cupid’s Arrows: Parents pretend to "fire" heart arrows toward goals with dramatic flair.
🐣 Egg Saves (Easter): Use pastel balloons and shout “Save the egg!”
👻 Ghost Balls: Pretend the ball is a spooky ghost trying to sneak past the child!
Parachute Darts🎯
🎯 Parachute Darts
A calm, focused game great for winding down or building throwing accuracy.
📝 Setup:
Spread the parachute flat on the ground — this is your giant dartboard.
Mark a throwing line (“oche”) a few metres back using a mini net, cones, or chalk.
Use coloured beanbags (ideally matching the colours of the parachute segments).
🎲 How to Play:
Children take turns standing behind the oche.
They throw beanbags, aiming to land them on a matching colour on the parachute.
→ Red beanbag = aim for red section, etc.Coach or assistant collects and returns beanbags between rounds.
Optional: Score 1 point for a hit, 2 for a perfect match!
🏹 Variations:
Timed Round: Who can land the most matches in 60 seconds?
Team Play: Take turns and add up total team scores.
Colour Call: Coach shouts a colour — child must quickly pick the correct beanbag and throw.
Target Zones: Mark a bullseye zone in the middle for bonus points 🎯
🪶 Feathers (Younger Children):
Let them walk up and place beanbags to learn colour matching.
Throw from closer up.
Use larger beanbags or soft balls for easier aiming.
Rockets 🚀
🚀 Rockets
🎯 A progressive accuracy and power game focused on low-to-high swing, coordination, and distance hitting.
📹 Watch Demo
⏱️ Time: 5–10 mins
🎤 Coach Script / Setup:
"Today we’re building ROCKETS! 🚀 We’re going to launch our tennis balls over the top and see how far our rockets can fly!"
Each parent/child pair builds a rocket using:
3 or 4 traffic cones stacked into a pyramid
Optionally place a football or round cone on top for extra height
About 50cm in front, place a round cone or hitting tee as the launch pad.
Place the Football on the cone (launchpad), or tennis ball on hitting tee then whack it with a backward to forward/ low-to-high swing towards rocket.
Once successful, move the launch cone another 50cm back.
Repeat until the child can no longer hit the rocket. See who can get the furthest back.
👉 Encourage them to shout “BLAST OFF!” each time 🚀
🪶 Feathers (Simplify for Younger Children):
• Just build tower and let little ones smash down with rackets
Use a larger ball (e.g., foam or football) for easier contact
• Move the cone closer (30cm away instead of 50cm)
• Allow rolling or gentle tosses over the rocket instead of hitting
• Use a beanbag on the cone to slow things down
• Let children hit or throw with two hands
⚡ Progressions (Challenge for Older or Confident Children):
• Increase the rocket height (add more cones or balls on top)
• Use drop feed instead of tee: drop the ball and hit it over
• Try hitting backhand rockets
• Introduce a distance leaderboard — who got furthest?
• Add a “Double Rocket” where they must hit over two towers side by side
🎾 Coaching Tips:
• Emphasise low-to-high swing path (like lifting the ball up) • Keep non-dominant hand out to stay balanced
• Help children adjust foot position – side-on stance • Praise for effort and creativity – encourage them to shout and celebrate their rocket launch
seasonal variations pack for the “🚀 Rockets” game — each themed version keeps the core structure but adds fun storytelling and slight tweaks to props or language.
🎄 Christmas – Santa’s Launch Station
Santa’s sleigh is stuck! Build a launch tower using stacked chimneys (cones) with a snowball (foam ball) or Christmas pudding on top. See how far the sleigh (ball) can fly over the rooftops as children move further back each time. Add a “Ho Ho Ho!” countdown before each launch.
🐣 Easter – Bunny Egg Launch
Stack pastel cones to make a bunny burrow tower. Place a chocolate egg (or round cone/ball) on top and try to launch it over an imaginary hedge or fence. Encourage kids to shout “Hop and Launch!” before each shot. See how far each bunny can get their egg.
🎃 Halloween – Witch’s Potion Launch
Stack bubbling cauldrons (black/orange cones) and place a spooky ingredient (green or purple ball) on top. Kids are little witches and wizards, launching ingredients into the sky to complete their potion. Add sound effects like “ZAP!” and let them cackle as they whack.
❤️ Valentine’s Day – Heart Rocket Delivery
Kids are launching love letters or hearts (red balls) over a “wall of shyness” (cones stacked like a barrier). Build heart towers with pink cones and send messages to their “Valentine’s Mailbox” far away. Bonus: Decorate a cone with heart stickers.
👩👧 Mother’s Day – Flower Delivery Rockets
Build a flower tower with yellow/orange cones and place a "flower" (beanbag or ball) on top. Children launch flowers towards a special “Mum’s Garden” zone. Add a flower sticker to the ball or let children say “This one’s for Mum!” before launching.
👨👦 Father’s Day – Toolbox Rocket Challenge
Use blue or grey cones to build a tower that looks like a toolbox. Kids launch a "screw" or "bolt" (ball) over a tall cone wall to “fix the roof.” Encourage children to shout “For Dad!” and see who can send their item furthest.
Hungry Hoovers 🧹
🧹 Hungry Hoovers
Theme: Coordination • Motor Skills • Imagination
Duration: 5 minutes (approx)
🎤 Coach Script / Setup:
"Who’s hungry? Not for snacks — but for tennis balls! 🟡🍽
You are the Hungry Hoovers! Your traffic cone is your Hoover nozzle, and your small tub is your dust bag.
Your mission is to clean up all the balls from the court as fast as you can!"
Tip: leave all balls out from the last exercise and play this game to tiday up!
🔧 Equipment Needed:
Traffic cones = Hoover Nozzles
Small tubs (1 per child) = Dust bags
Large tubs (2–3 max) = Main waste collection tubs
Foam or soft tennis balls spread across the area
🔁 Gameplay:
Each child holds:
A cone (nozzle) in one hand
A dust bag (small tub) in the other hand
Children stamp the cone over the balls to pick them up (they can assist with the other hand if needed).
Once the cone is full, they tip the ball(s) into their dust bag.
When their dust bag is full, they run and empty it into the main collection tub (white bucket) and return to the game.
Game continues until all balls are cleaned up!
🪶 Feathers (Simplify for Tots):
Let children use both hands freely to pick up and transfer balls.
Fewer balls to avoid overwhelm.
Let parents assist with holding dust bag or helping pick up balls.
Allow walking only (no running).
Use bigger balls to make hoovering easier.
⚡️ Progressions (Older / Confident Children):
❌ No hands allowed! Must use a racket in one hand and a cone in the other.
Racket scoop challenge: scoop balls into dust bag using the racket only.
Add obstacles or zones where only one child can be in at a time (like kitchen tiles).
Add a timer – how fast can they clean the court?
Use smaller or flatter balls that are trickier to pick up.
🎯 Skill Focus:
Fine and gross motor skills
Hand-eye coordination
Object manipulation
Imaginative play and theme engagement
Teamwork if done in teams or relay style
seasonal variations for Hungry Hoovers 🧹🍬 — keeping the core mechanics (collecting balls with cones and depositing into tubs) but adding themed storytelling and items:
🧽 Hungry Hoovers – Seasonal Variations
🎄 Christmas – Elf Workshop Clean-Up
Santa’s elves have dropped all the Christmas baubles and decorations! Kids become magical hoovers collecting them. Use red, green, gold balls as “baubles” and “sweep” them up with cones into their dustbags. Tidy the workshop before Santa gets back! 🎅🎁
🐣 Easter – Bunny Burrow Sweep-Up
The Easter Bunny’s helpers have made a mess! Beanbags are colourful Easter eggs, and kids use cones to collect them and sort them back into the bunny baskets. Maybe add a few hidden “chocolate eggs” (special coloured cones)! 🐰🥚
🎃 Halloween – Witch’s Broom Blitz
The witches left slime blobs (green balls), spiders (black cones), and eyeballs (round cones) everywhere. Kids must use “magic vacuums” (cones) to hoover them into their cauldrons (dust tubs). Play spooky music for atmosphere! 🧙♀️🕷️
💘 Valentine’s Day – Love Heart Clean-Up
After a Valentine’s party, love hearts and chocolates (red and pink beanbags or balls) are scattered across the floor. Kids sweep them up gently and place them into gift baskets. 💌🍫
👩 Mother’s Day / 👨 Father’s Day – Kitchen Tidy-Up
After making breakfast for Mum or Dad, the kitchen’s a mess! Kids must hoover up pretend crumbs, toast crusts, and eggs (balls/beanbags), placing them in the bin (main tub). 🧼🍳🧹
Grand Tour!🎾
Grand Tour!🎾
A fun multi-skill tennis circuit that combines hitting, throwing, drop-feeding, and putting – encouraging children to explore different techniques and body movements while working toward a common target.
⏱️ Duration:
10–15 minutes
🎤 Coach Script / Introduction
"Okay travellers! ✈️ Today you're going on a trip Around the World! 🌍
You’ll need your luggage – that’s your racket and a little bucket of balls – and you’ll travel from country to country (station to station), trying to land your balls in the centre of the world. That’s our target zone!"
🧭 Setup & Station Descriptions
Lay out a large circle (or oval) around a central target zone with 2–3 upturned buckets.
Create 5–7 stations around the edge of the circle. Examples include:
Hitting Tee Station – Hit forehands off a tee toward the target buckets.
Throwing Station – Gently underarm or overarm throw into the buckets.
Drop-Feed Station – A parent or partner gently drops a ball for the child to hit.
Self Drop Station – Children drop the ball themselves and hit.
Putting Station – Use a tennis racket to gently roll the ball into sideways traffic cones or tubs.
Give each child a mini bucket or tub (their suitcase) with 3–5 balls inside.
Children move clockwise around the world trying each station.
🔁 Gameplay Instructions
Start at a station with their luggage (plastic tub)
Complete the activity at the station (1–2 balls max).
Collect missed balls near the station and carry on (leave balls that reach the middle).
Travel with racket and luggage to the next station.
End by picking up cones and tees with the children to reinforce responsibility.
🎯 Technical Coaching Tips
Tee stations: Focus on low to high swing and sideways stance.
Throwing stations: Teach underarm technique, balance, and follow-through.
Drop feed stations: Cue “watch the bounce, then swing”.
Putting station: Use forward-and-backward push like a golf putt, not a slap.
Highlight how the height of the hit affects whether the ball drops into the bucket.
🪶 Feathers (Simplifications for Younger Children)
Use larger buckets in the middle.
Allow children to sit down and roll balls underarm instead of hitting.
Use balloons or large foam balls for throwing.
Let them use their hands to drop balls directly into buckets if needed.
Assign an adult helper at each station to give clear instructions.
⚡ Progressions (For Older or Advanced Children)
Reduce the size of the buckets or switch to cones on their side.
Enforce topspin hitting on tee and drop-feed stations.
Add a challenge: hit 2 out of 3 balls into the bucket before moving on.
Encourage use of backhand at one or more stations.
Add a timer per station to build urgency and pace.
Four Goals 🥅 (Dribbling Challenge)
Four Goals 🥅 (Dribbling Challenge)
Objective:
Develop racket control, footwork, spatial awareness, and directional movement by dribbling a ball into four different goal areas.
🎯 Set Up
Use four hurdles or tall cones to create four mini-goals — one in each corner of the space.
Each child starts with a football-sized inflatable ball (or foam ball).
Children must dribble their ball with their racket into each goal, visiting all four corners to complete the challenge.
👨🏫 Coach Instructions
Emphasise wide stance, soft hands, and "backwards and forwards" tapping when dribbling the ball, and using good footwork to keep the ball in range of the racket.
Players can go in any order, but must eventually score in all four goals.
Allow them to self-navigate between the goals or follow a set order if needed.
🪶 Feathers (Simplifications)
Use bigger, slower balls (inflatable beach balls or soft foam balls).
Let the children use their hands or feet instead of rackets.
Play with a partner — one child controls, the other helps direct.
Set up just two goals first and build up to four.
Allow stopping and starting between each goal (don’t worry about flow).
⚡ Progressions (Extensions)
Time each run: “How fast can you get to all four goals?”
Add traffic cones as obstacles to dribble around.
Introduce a defender (coach or parent moving slowly) in the middle of the court — players must avoid them.
Introduce a goalkeeper (coach or parent moving slowly) in each goal (still letting goals past but playing along)
Add reverse challenge — after scoring in all 4, they must do it again in reverse.
Use weaker hand or backhand side to control the ball.
Encourage passing to a partner at the end of each goal and continuing in relay style.
Build and Demolish 🏰
🎯 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
Set up a pile of traffic cones at one end of the space (the “construction site”).
Children start at the other end with a football each.
They dribble/tap their footballs carefully toward the cone pile.
At the pile, they stop their ball and collect 1–2 cones by hand.
They dribble back, delivering the cones to the adults.
Adults build the castle by stacking tall cones with round cones between, adding poles for height if available.
Continue until time runs out or the castle is tall and mighty!
💥 Phase 2: Demolish the Castle
Create a moat line using cones — this is the safe throwing zone.
Children line up with their balls ready to throw (or roll/kick for younger ones).
One by one, they try to knock down the castle using an overarm throw or preferred technique.
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.
Hitting Stations 🎯
Hitting Stations 🎯
Purpose: Maximise hitting repetition and technique development through multiple live-feed stations while minimising queues and keeping children engaged.
🧠 Coaching Focus:
Promote low-to-high swing path for topspin
Contact at waist height out in front
Footwork to adjust position and balance
Eyes on the ball and recovery after each shot
🏗️ Set-Up Instructions:
Divide the space into multiple stations, all designed for hitting — ideally arranged to hit towards the middle of the space or safely away from each other.
Each station should have:
A feeder/ feeders (assistant coach, parent, or older child)
Nets or barriers for target and containment
Soft balls for most stations (mini red or foam)
Suggested Stations:
🎾 Forehand feed – with assistant or parent feeding
🔁 Backhand feed
🦞 Lenny the Lobster (ball machine)
🎯 Target hitting (e.g., aim at cones or hoops)
🌀 Spin machine or self-fed tees
✋ Throw & hit (throw then strike)
☄️ Serve station with soft balls
Position spin machines and hitting tees around the edge for children waiting or rotating.
🔁 Rotation Flow:
Children hit 5 shots per turn (e.g. 5 forehands)
Then rotate clockwise or as directed by the coach
On the second circuit, switch shot type (e.g. 5 backhands)
✅ Try to give each child two turns per station
✅ Keep queues short — 2 children max per station
🛟 Safety First:
Always hit away from others (position feeders and targets carefully)
Use soft foam balls or mini red balls for most stations
Use smaller hard balls for Lenny the Lobster only
Do not use mini red balls in Lenny – it causes belt wear
Ensure children know to only retrieve balls when play is paused, and not walk in front of Lenny, or put their hands in Lenny. Please note that if using the remote on Lenny and pausing it, the wheels keep spinning, which is dangerous. Please turn it off at the power when not using it for any length of time.
🧩 Staffing Tips:
Assign at least one coach to walk between stations, offering technical feedback
Let parents feed underarm or from bounce — ideal for lower-pressure learning
Encourage all helpers to praise effort and reinforce coaching points
🌟 Optional Add-Ons:
⏱️ Timed stations with whistle rotations (1–2 mins each)
🏆 Add fun challenges like “hit the cone” or “how many in the hoop?”
📸 Take videos of a few great shots for fun feedback at the end
Ten-pin Tennis 🎾 🤾♂️🎳💥
Ten-pin Tennis 🎾 🤾♂️🎳💥
Set-up
· Create a traffic grid using cones: two horizontal lines of cones at either end of the space and two vertical lines in between, forming three alleys. Note put a line of round cones at the end of the alley to stop and hit from.
· Place all the spare rackets (butt end up) at the far end of each alley to act as skittles.
o Tip: You can swap rackets for tees or upright foam targets for variety.
How to Play:
1. Coaches demonstrate with an inflatable ball.
2. Player starts at the baseline and dribbles the ball hockey-style with their racket, keeping inside one alley.
3. When they reach the end, they bowl:
o Pick up the ball.
o Drop it, let it bounce once, and hit it towards the skittles.
o Aim to knock down as many as possible.
Note, younger Tots may want to hit it along the ground or carry the ball and roll/ throw the ball at the skittles.
4. After bowling, the player runs back to collect another ball and repeats in the same or a different alley, or carry their ball back to the start of the alley.
5. Alternate between forehands and backhands each turn.
Coaching Tips
· Emphasise control over speed when dribbling.
· Show correct grip for both forehand and backhand bowling shots.
· Encourage aiming for specific skittles rather than just the whole group.
Variations & Challenges
1. One Alley Each: Allocate one alley per team and see which team can clear all skittles first.
2. Timed Challenge: Players have 60 seconds to knock down as many skittles as possible.
3. Mixed Bowling Styles: Forehand only, backhand only, or alternate after every attempt.
4. Obstacle Alley: Add mini hurdles, cones, or zig-zag gates to dribble around before bowling.
5. Target Bonus: Place a bigger target or hoop behind the skittles—hit it for bonus points.
6. Moving Skittles: Have another player slowly walk a foam skittle across the alley for extra challenge.
7. Reverse Run: After bowling, players have to dribble the ball backwards to the start.