Invent Your Own Version of Dino Ball
Encourage creativity and teamwork by helping children develop their own Dino Ball game.
Before You Play
Together watch a video clip in which dinosaurs from Dinosaur Train play “Dino Ball.” Explain that today your child and his friends (or siblings) are going to pretend they are dinosaurs and invent their own version of Dino Ball. Point out that every ball game has rules. Ask them for examples of rules of other games they know.
Have the children use library books, the internet, or the Dinosaur Train Field Guide to choose what type of dinosaur or pterosaur they would like to be when playing Dino Ball.
Materials
Directions
Have the children talk about how the animal they picked might hit the Dino Ball. How, for example, could they use their arms to pretend they have a tail? Holding one hand near their bottom might work.
Set up two goals using the sports cones. Tell the children they will divide into two teams. The overall goal is for each team to work together to get the ball to the other side. The first team to earn five points wins. Help the children figure out some additional rules to make the game interesting. Some suggestions:
- What if the goalies on each team can only use their “tail” (arm behind them) to block the ball?
- What if players have to clap their hands quickly three times before hitting the ball?
- What if some of the players on each team can only hit the ball with their heads?
- What if players can only talk with each other by “roaring”? How would they be able to communicate “Pass the ball to me!”?
- What if they played the game with two balls (different colors), so that each team was trying to get its ball to the other side?
- What if there’s a time limit? For example, what if each team has only one minute to get their ball to the other side before it switches to the other team?
Before, during, and after playing, encourage good sportsmanship. Ask the children why it is important to treat all the players fairly. Also, they might like to end the Dino Ball game with players on each side shaking hands (or bumping tails!) and saying, "Good game!"
Emotions & Self-Awareness
Social Skills
Character
- Activity Type
- Craft
- Topics