Protect the Castle

A good way to introduce children to dynamic striking - Protect the Castle allows children to build their own castle using anything you may have around your home, and defend it as they learn to strike a rolling ball!
Provide equipment for your child to build a 'castle' with - such as buckets, bottles, beanbags, boxes, chalk or printed pictures on a wall. Your child will be the batter (with a cricket bat), and you can be the roller (with a ball - size dependant on ability). Alternatively, if playing with two or more children, rotate through positions. The batter stands in front of the castle, protecting it, with the roller standing a few meters away at a cone, facing the batter.
Step 1:
- Allow 1-2 minutes to build the castle
- When the castle is built, you (the roller) rolls the ball at the castle, attempting to knock it down (the ball must stay along the ground)
Step 2:
- Your child (the batter) attempts to hit the ball, protecting their castle
- Swap over if the castle is knocked over/hit, after 5 turns, or after a few minutes
Step 3:
- Keep playing and see how well you can protect your castle!
- Use a large ball - a soccer ball may be too heavy so try a foam dodgeball or a spiky ball
- Roll the ball slowly
- Increase the distance between the roller and the batter
- Use a smaller ball, like a tennis ball
- Allow one bounce (if the playing surface allows)
- Roll the ball faster
To assist your child with the correct striking technique, remind them of the following teaching cues;
- Hands together
- Ready: stand side on to the ball (use markers to assist)
- Eyes on the ball
- Step & Swing – step with the front foot towards the target
- Build the story - the batter is a knight defending the castle, and the roller is a dragon breathing fireballs!
- Let your child select the equipment to use for their castle
- If your child is not having success hitting a moving ball, first let them practice hitting the ball along the ground by themself