Fruit Salad 🍓🍌🍏– Fun Volleying Game
🍓🍌🍏 Fruit Salad – Fun Volleying Game
Duration: 8–10 minutes
Ideal Age: 4–9 years (Tots & Titans)
Focus: Volleying technique, reaction speed, footwork, and fun movement
🎾 What is a Volley?
Explain to the children:
"A volley is when we hit the ball before it bounces, right up close to the net! It’s a short punch with the racket — not a big swing. Just like licking a lollipop 🍭 — racket up in front, and push forward with your feet."
🏗 Set-Up
🧍♂️ Line kids up 2m from the net (use floor spots or cones).
🟡 Place another line or row of cones 1m from the net — this is where volleys are hit.
✂️ Split the group depending on number of feeders (approx. 5:1 ratio).
For example, with 15 kids and 3 coaches/parents, make 3 groups of 5.
🍌🍎🍓 Name the groups after fruits (Bananas, Apples, Strawberries, etc.)
🎮 How to Play
🧍♂️ Kids begin on the first line, facing the back fence and dancing on their toes.
🍎 Coach calls a fruit: “Bananas!” – those children turn around and march quickly to the front line.
💥 Coach feeds a gentle ball for them to volley back (either forehand or backhand volley).
🔁 Once the volley is done, the child returns to the first line.
🍉 This continues with different fruit names being called.
🥗 When coach shouts “Fruit Salad!” – all children must run to the back fence and back again
while coaches try to “tag” them with soft balls (or throw gently at their feet like dodgeball).😄 Repeat for several rounds – keep energy and laughter high!
✋ Coaching Points
🍭 Racket up like a lollipop in front of the face
🚫 No backswing – just a short punch
🚶♂️ Use small forward steps with feet – like walking through a puddle
🧍 Stay balanced and upright
🎯 Try to tap the ball with middle of the racket
🪶 Feathers (Younger/Beginner Tots)
✅ Allow volleys to bounce once before contact
👩👦 Have parents assist child by holding hand or guiding racket
🧸 Use balloons or foam balls for slower flight
🟢 Let them catch the ball instead of volleying if coordination is tough
🛑 Slow the pace — call fruits one by one with more time to reset
⚡ Progressions (Older Kids/Titans)
🔁 Add backhand volleys alternating with forehands/ smashes
🎯 Add target areas to aim for (cones/hoops)
🏃 Add a jump over a mini hurdle before stepping into the volley
⏱️ Make it timed — how many good volleys in 60 seconds
🥎 Coaches can increase speed/difficulty of feeds
🔄 After volleying, player switches groups and rotates through
🎉 Seasonal Variations
🎅 Christmas: Call out "Santa, Snowman, Reindeer" instead of fruits
🐣 Easter: “Bunnies, Chicks, Eggs”
🎃 Halloween: “Ghosts, Witches, Pumpkins” – “Haunted House!” instead of Fruit Salad
💘 Valentine’s: “Hearts, Roses, Chocolates” – “Valentine’s Day!” as the run cue
👩👦 Mother’s Day/Father’s Day: Groups named after family members – “Family Run!” for group dash
🏁 Wrap-Up
👏 Celebrate with big claps after each round
🧹 Kids help tidy up cones/balls
🎽 End with a final “Fruit Salad” dash and maybe a silly dance at the end!
Duration: 5–10 minutes
Ideal Age: 4–12 years (Tots & Titans)
Focus: Volleying technique, reaction speed, footwork, and fun movement
🎾 What is a Volley?
Explain to the children:
"A volley is when we hit the ball before it bounces, right up close to the net! It’s a short punch with the racket — not a big swing. Just like licking a lollipop 🍭 — racket up in front, and push forward with your feet."
🏗 Set-Up
🧍♂️ Line kids up 2m from the net (use floor spots or cones).
🟡 Place another line or row of cones 1m from the net — this is where volleys are hit.
✂️ Split the group depending on number of feeders (approx. 5:1 ratio).
For example, with 15 kids and 3 coaches/parents, make 3 groups of 5.
🍌🍎🍓 Name the groups after fruits (Bananas, Apples, Strawberries, etc.)
🎮 How to Play
🧍♂️ Kids begin on the first line, facing the back fence and dancing on their toes.
🍎 Coach calls a fruit: “Bananas!” – those children turn around and march quickly to the front line.
💥 Coach feeds a gentle ball for them to volley back (either forehand or backhand volley).
🔁 Once the volley is done, the child returns to the first line.
🍉 This continues with different fruit names being called.
🥗 When coach shouts “Fruit Salad!” – all children must run to the back fence and back again
while coaches try to “tag” them with soft balls (or throw gently at their feet like dodgeball).😄 Repeat for several rounds – keep energy and laughter high!
✋ Coaching Points
🍭 Racket up like a lollipop in front of the face
🚫 No backswing – just a short punch
🚶♂️ Use small forward steps with feet – like walking through a puddle
🧍 Stay balanced and upright
🎯 Try to tap the ball with middle of the racket
🪶 Feathers (Younger/Beginner Tots)
✅ Allow volleys to bounce once before contact
👩👦 Have parents assist child by holding hand or guiding racket
🧸 Use balloons or foam balls for slower flight
🟢 Let them catch the ball instead of volleying if coordination is tough
🛑 Slow the pace — call fruits one by one with more time to reset
⚡ Progressions (Older Kids/Titans)
🔁 Add backhand volleys alternating with forehands/ smashes
🎯 Add target areas to aim for (cones/hoops)
🏃 Add a jump over a mini hurdle before stepping into the volley
⏱️ Make it timed — how many good volleys in 60 seconds
🥎 Coaches can increase speed/difficulty of feeds
🔄 After volleying, player switches groups and rotates through
🎉 Seasonal Variations
🎅 Christmas: Call out "Santa, Snowman, Reindeer" instead of fruits
🐣 Easter: “Bunnies, Chicks, Eggs”
🎃 Halloween: “Ghosts, Witches, Pumpkins” – “Haunted House!” instead of Fruit Salad
💘 Valentine’s: “Hearts, Roses, Chocolates” – “Valentine’s Day!” as the run cue
👩👦 Mother’s Day/Father’s Day: Groups named after family members – “Family Run!” for group dash
🏁 Wrap-Up
👏 Celebrate with big claps after each round
🧹 Kids help tidy up cones/balls
🎽 End with a final “Fruit Salad” dash and maybe a silly dance at the end!