All You Need is One Bouncy Ball

Whether playing on their own, with a couple of friends or a whole gang, all you need for these games is one large bouncy ball (like those red ones we used to have in gym class!).

Olary

Children chant the rhyme while bouncing the ball. At "olary" the player swings one leg up and over the ball, while it bounces and then continues bouncing the ball. If a player misses, it's the next person's turn.

One, two, three Olary,

Four, five, six Olary,

Seven, eight, nine Olary,

Ten Olary boys.

Twisted Catch

Players spread out around a large area and one player is chosen as the caller. The caller chooses how players will catch or throw the ball (for example - catch between elbows, throw ball with opposite hand, spin once before catching, etc.). Then the Caller throws the ball to a player. The players continue throwing the ball around to each other, obeying the Caller's commands. The Caller can change commands at any time.

If players drop the ball or fail to follow a command, they are out and sit in the middle of the playing area. While sitting, they can stop or catch the ball to return to the game. The game ends when only one player is left standing.

By Rochelle Strauss