Beach Balls in the Classroom

📝 This post, Beach Balls in the Classroom, was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with new information and resources.

Beach balls are everywhere this time of year—and they’re inexpensive too! I’ve found them for as little as 99¢ at the Dollar Store and Michaels. Over the years, they’ve become one of my favorite classroom tools because there are so many fun beach ball learning activities you can do with students.

Beach balls are such a simple, inexpensive teaching tool, and students absolutely love them! Whether you’re practicing sight words, math facts, or choosing a morning meeting activity, a beach ball instantly adds movement and excitement to learning. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use them.

---

Before You Begin Learning with Beach Balls

A few simple expectations will help your beach ball activities run smoothly.

• Model and practice how to toss the beach ball appropriately.
• Decide which finger will determine what students do, say, or read. For example, “Read the word your right thumb lands on.” This is also a fun way to reinforce left and right!
• Decide on your rules before beginning, such as who students may throw the ball to (not the person next to them) and what they should do after taking a turn (sit down, return to the circle, etc.).
• Teach the difference between a one-finger and two-finger catch, and remind students which version you’ll be using before each activity.

---

Sight Words/Trick Words

Write the sight words your students are learning all over the beach ball. Students toss the ball to a partner and read the word their designated finger lands on.

This idea also works well for color words, days of the week, months of the year, vocabulary words, and high-frequency words.

---

Songs and Rhymes

As your class learns new songs, fingerplays, and poems throughout the year, add each title to the beach ball. When it’s time for a brain break or morning meeting, simply toss the ball to decide what the class will sing or recite.

---

Math Facts

Write numbers all over the beach ball and adjust the activity to match your students’ skill level.

Younger students can simply identify the number they land on or clap that many times.

Older students can use a two-finger catch to create addition, subtraction, or multiplication problems. You can also practice greater than and less than by having students compare the two numbers using complete math sentences.

---

Choosing Partners or Who Goes First

Write each student’s name on the beach ball. Whenever you need to choose who goes first, who shares next, or who will be partners, simply toss the ball. Wherever the designated finger lands is your answer!

---

Left and Right

Write the words left and right several times around the beach ball. When students catch it, they toss the ball to someone on the side their designated finger lands on.

It’s a simple activity that provides lots of practice identifying left and right.

---

Morning Meeting Greetings and Games

Morning meeting greetings and games can quickly become classroom favorites. As you teach each new greeting or game, add it to the beach ball. Then, whenever it’s time for morning meeting, toss the ball to let it choose the activity for the day!

---

Storage and Reuse for Beach Balls

You don’t need to store a dozen fully inflated beach balls all year long! They can easily be deflated when not in use.

My plan was always to hang mine from the classroom ceiling. They were easy to grab when I needed them and doubled as colorful classroom decorations!

If you’d rather reuse the same beach ball for different skills, try writing with a dry-erase marker. You may also be able to cover the writing with small pieces of clear packing tape or contact paper to help prevent smudging until you’re ready to change it.

---

How About Using Beach Balls at Home?

Beach balls aren’t just for the classroom! Families can use them to practice sight words, math facts, or vocabulary at home. They also make a fun way to choose chores, decide who goes first, pick a family activity, or even choose a special weekend treat.

---

Wrapping Up

Beach balls are inexpensive, easy to store, and incredibly versatile. Best of all, they get students moving while they practice important skills. Sometimes the simplest classroom supplies turn out to be the most useful!

💚 Have another creative way to use a beach ball in the classroom? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments!