Building Active Bodies and Brains

04 Alien Attack 80Alien Attack – Throw and Kick

For this activity, you need some recycled plastic bottles (as few as three or as many as 10) and a small round ball or anything suitable for throwing or kicking. To add to the fun, try printing these alien cut-outs and sticking them onto the bottles.

Line the bottles up in a row or a couple of rows, like for ten pin bowling or skittles. Your child stands a distance away and throws, kicks or rolls a ball along the ground to knock the bottles over. Pretend the bottles are aliens to add to the fun!

For younger children, you can set up just a few bottles and have them stand close, using a small round ball to knock them over. As your child develop these skills, you can move the bottles further away. Take turns and have fun playing.

Helpful Hint: For throwing, you can experiment with using different types of balls, scrunched up paper or a pair of socks, so your child can see what difference it makes. With kicking, toddlers first ‘walk into a ball’ when attempting to kick. As their balance improves, they are able to lift one leg to kick the ball forward. Try a medium sized, light ball and lots of encouragement! Say “1,2,3 kick” to help your toddler get ready and plan their kick.

04 PGWA029 BABaB Alien Attack Activity Sheet