Tennis Fishing 🎣 🎾 🥎

🎯 Purpose: Improve balance, colour recognition, coordination, and control — with fun, fishing-themed play!

🧠 Set-Up ⏸️ Coach scatters different colour round cones (fish) across the room ("the pond")

🟠 At one end of the space, place matching coloured traffic cones (these are the “collection buckets”)

🥎 Each child holds a racket (fishing rod)

🎣 How to Play

🧒 Children start at one end of the room

🎾 They walk into the “pond” and use their racket to pick up one round cone (fish)

🏃 They carry it back balanced on their racket

🌈 Match the colour of the round cone and “hang it” on the matching coloured traffic cone

🔁 Repeat — one fish at a time!

🔁 Progressions

🍓 Beanbags: Add these for older or confident players — trickier to balance!

🎾 Tennis Balls: Even more challenging — kids must move slowly and with control. Hold on heart (V shape throat) of racket if kids are struggling.

🌀 Coloured tubs near cones or at the side for beanbags and balls to be “caught” inside

🪶 Feathers – Younger Tots

✅ Allow walking only — no running

🖐️ Assist them in picking up and balancing

👨‍👩‍👧 Let parents carry the racket and child places the item

☀️ Coach Tips

Use a storytelling theme: "Let’s go fishing in the sea!" or "Catch the rainbow fish!"

🗣️ Narrate with humour: "Oh no, that one's wriggly!" / "You caught a golden fish!"

💛 Praise effort, not just success

📣 Encourage children to cheer each other on as they return with their fish.

Seasonal alternatives:

🌸 Spring (Easter) – Easter Egg Fishing 🐣🥚

Swap round cones for pastel-coloured “eggs.”

🗣️ "The Easter Bunny dropped eggs in the pond — let’s go fishing for them!"

Children match eggs to coloured “Easter baskets” (traffic cones).

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🎃 Autumn (Halloween) – Pumpkin Pond 🎃🧛‍♂️

The pond is full of mini pumpkins (orange cones), spiders (black beanbags), and ghost fish (white cones)!

🗣️ “Beware the spooky sea! Catch the candy pumpkins without waking the swamp monsters!”

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🎄 Winter (Christmas) – Frozen Fish Pond ❄️🎅

Turn the cones into snowflakes, stars, or “ice fish” (blue, silver, white).

🗣️ “The elves dropped their magical fish into the frozen pond — can you return them to the North Pole buckets?”

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💘 Valentine’s – Love Fish Rescue 💘🎣

Catch heart-shaped fish (red/pink cones) and deliver them to matching “heart buckets.”

🗣️ “Help Cupid collect all the love fish before they swim away!”

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👩‍👦‍👦 Mother’s Day / Father’s Day – Breakfast in Bed Pond 🍳🥓

Each “fish” is now breakfast-themed (beanbags = toast, cones = juice).

🗣️ “Let’s catch breakfast for Mum/Dad and deliver it without dropping anything!”