Objective
In Hot Potato, the children cooperate on passing a ball through the row of children from one place to another. The children must also remember rules and respond quickly. After passing the ball, they must move quickly, so they are ready to pass the ball again.
Instructions
The game corresponds to tunnel ball with the aim of passing the ball through the group from one place to another (agreed in advance).
- The children (e.g. a group of four) lie in a row where the feet of the other children are facing the head of the first child, etc.
- The first child in the row starts with the ball between their feet, bends their upper body towards the ball, grabs it with their hands, lifts it behind their heads, puts it down on the floor and passes the ball to the next child in the row. The next child takes the ball and lifts it behind their head whilst laying on the ground and passes the ball to the next child in the row and so forth.
- After the child has passed the ball to another child, he or she stands up, runs to the back of the row, lies down and is ready to receive the ball again.
Variation
- The game can be varied by the children moving to the back of the row in different ways, e.g. crawling, walking backwards or running sideways.
- A slight more difficult variant is to pass the ball over the head and put it down between the feet of the next child, who thereafter puts the ball into their hands and places it between the feet of the next person, etc.
- An even more difficult variant is to use the feet only. Here the child has the ball between their feet, puts the ball over their head whilst lying down and ‘passes’ the ball to the feet of the next child, etc.
Equipment
One ball per group