Friendly Pixie (Catch)

boys holding ball

Good for large groups, indoors or outdoors. A KIDDO favourite.

wicked witch friendly pixie
Set up

Designate a play area, indoors or outdoors. Educator is the Friendly Pixie and starts with the ‘wand’ (this can be a scarf, pool noodle, pole. Witch's hat optional). Choose a tree or part of your environment to be the ‘castle’. Every child is given one ball each.

How to play
Step 1
  • The educator holds the wand and is the Friendly Pixie
Step 2
  • The educator holds their wand in the air and calls out the following instructions (magic spells), whilst demonstrating:
    • Bounce the ball and catch
    • Throw the ball up and catch
    • Roll the ball and collect it
    • Throw the ball with a friend 
    • Move the ball around your waist
    • Move the ball around your head
    • Move around bouncing the ball
Step 3
  • After calling out a number of instructions the Pixie drops the wand and children race to the castle (e.g., tree or climbing frame) as the Pixie chases after them. Children carry their balls with them. Children then return to the play area and the Pixie continues with the instructions (magic spells).
Variations
Make it easier
  • Don’t introduce the ‘castle' at the start, just stick with 'magic spells'
  • Start with simple instructions that children can achieve, such as “Drop and catch the ball” or “Move the ball around your head"
Make it harder
  • If you catch any children on the way to the ‘castle’, they can do a drop and catch, or similar movement
  • Make the ‘castle’ further away
Activity information
Age: 2-3 years, 3-5 years
Participants: 2 +
Equipment: Basketballs, Poles, Beanbags
Duration: 10 minutes
Skill focus
Explore these skills for teaching tips
Catching
Skill teaching

Before starting the activity, have everyone practice catching. Remember the catching teaching cues:

  1. Eyes on the ball
  2. Soft fingers
  3. Butterfly hands: thumbs together and fingers pointing up for balls being caught above the waist
  4. Wriggly worms: fingers pointing down for balls being caught below the waist
  5. Move hands to the ball
Activity summary
Physical literacy tips
  • Let the children be the Friendly Pixie and make up the magic spells
  • For any hesitant children, let them be the Pixie’s assistant