Roll the ball fun

Open floor space and a ball, ideally 10-20 cm in diameter.

This activity helps your toddler to develop fine motor control in the hands, as well as hand-eye coordination.

Sit on the floor opposite your child with your legs spread apart in a “V” shape, or kneel if kneeling is more comfortable. Have your child sit the same way and facing you. Roll the ball back and forth at a distance of 1-2 metres. If you sense that your child is ready for a challenge, roll the ball faster to demand faster reactions.

If your child is ready for a greater challenge, try tossing the ball slightly so that it bounces a bit.

This can be made into a sociable game with more family members, by sitting around in a circle and passing the ball to one another. You can sing the song or say the words: ‘roll the ball, roll the ball, roll the ball to…..’ – the person with the ball has to name the person they would like to roll to.