Balls in Motion

Your Child Will Learn

Exploring how balls move

Here’s What to Do

1. Choose two different types of balls and sit on the floor with your child.
2. Roll the ball(s) in several types of ways. Examples:
   1. Roll the ball gently
   2. Roll the ball with more force
   3. Roll the ball down a ramp (like a triangle shaped block, or a cardboard box propped up on something)
   4. Roll the ball across different materials (carpet, smooth floor, cardboard)
3. Narrate what you’re doing and what the result is.
4. For older babies, encourage them to roll the ball on their own. You may need to guide their hand, or sit facing them and ask them to pass the ball to you.

Put PEER Into Action

PAUSE

• Sit on the floor with your child. If they can sit independently, sit a few feet away and face your child.

ENGAGE

• “I’m going to roll this small ball gently. Let’s see what happens. Oh! It moved just a little bit. Now I’m going to roll the small ball harder. Look! It went even farther!”
• “I’m wondering what happens if I roll the ball across the carpet. Ooooh interesting… it didn’t go as far. And it moved more slowly!”

ENCOURAGE

• “Alejandro, can you try rolling the ball to Papa?”
• “Aisha, good noticing! You watched the ball go really fast down the ramp.”

REFLECT

• Summarize things your child seemed to enjoy, like “Yes, it was so funny when the ball went bye bye under the table.”

Not Quite Ready

Even if it seems like your child doesn’t understand, you’re helping them learn vocabulary related to force and motion and all the different ways balls can move.

Ready for More

Encourage your child to do all the rolling themselves. Model other ways to move the ball (like dropping it) and ask your child to copy you.

As Your Child Masters This Skill

They will begin to understand how different forces can affect objects and how balls move.

Time to Complete

10 minutes

Materials Needed

A few balls (or round objects like cups, stuffed animals, etc.)