Activity Overview
Are the kids getting antsy when they are stuck indoors on a rainy day? Create an indoor tennis match that is safe to play indoors and will get kids active and engaged. This fun indoor activity is great for all age groups and increases hand-eye coordination, teaches counting, encourages balance, concentration and good sportsmanship.
Materials Needed
- Inflated Balloon
- Paper Plates
- A rope or painter's tape
- Jumbo craft sticks
- Glue
How to Make and Play
- Glue one craft stick to the edge of each paper plate to form a handle.
- Find an open space in your home and use a rope or painter's tape to divide the space in half.
- Identify boundaries mutually in an area resembling a mini tennis court.
- Have one person on each side of the dividing line, each holding one paper plate in one of their hands.
- The first person serves the balloon by hitting it with the paper plate over into the other side of the makeshift court.
- The other person attempts to receive the balloon without letting the balloon touch the ground and then hits it back over to the other side. Play continues in this manner.
- Points are awarded when the player who serves successfully hits a balloon over that stays in bounds and hits the floor and is not received by the other player.
- If the balloon falls on the floor in bounds on the player who served the balloon's side, then the serve goes to the opposite player and play continues.
- Continue until a player reaches 12 points.
