Nursery World - Positive Relationships: A parent's guide to ... Ball skills

Many sports and games require good balls skills, but learning to catch, throw, kick and aim benefits young children in ways far beyond the playing field.

Learning balls skills when they are young enables children to:

You don't need expensive kit or a large open space to practise basic ball skills. Managing a ball made from rolled-up socks is much more challenging than using a conventional ball - try it!

Always involve your child in planning the activities (such as rolling up socks), and playing for about five to ten minutes at a time is probably enough.

Remember that not all children are even interested in ball activities, so avoid putting any pressure on your child to learn. Playing with a ball should be fun and stress-free.

If you use accessible, everyday equipment that is completely safe, you will find that your child will practise the skills happily and slowly gain in confidence.

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