Balls for EYFS and KS1 Physical Development: An Age-Matched Guide

Why are ball skills important in EYFS and KS1?

Playing with balls helps children develop the fundamental movement skills that underpin later participation in physical activity, PE and sport.

Through rolling, carrying, throwing, catching, kicking, bouncing and striking, children can strengthen:

• Hand-eye and foot-eye coordination
• Balance and postural control
• Bilateral coordination
• Spatial awareness
• Timing and movement control
• Gross motor strength
• Confidence and perseverance
• Cooperation and turn-taking

Ball play also creates natural opportunities for communication and problem-solving. Children negotiate rules, judge distance, respond to other people’s movements and learn how much force to apply.

At Hope Education, we recognise that these skills develop gradually. A child who confidently catches a large balloon may still find a small playground ball difficult to track. Effective provision gives children an achievable starting point and then introduces challenge in manageable steps.

What does current guidance say about physical development?

The EYFS Statutory Framework identifies Physical Development as one of the three prime areas of learning. Its educational programme explains that physical activity is vital to children’s all-round development and supports healthy, active lives.

Practitioners should provide opportunities for children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, coordination and agility. The framework also highlights repeated and varied opportunities to explore objects, including balls.

By the end of Reception, the Gross Motor Skills early learning goal includes demonstrating strength, balance and coordination and moving energetically in ways such as running, jumping, dancing, hopping, skipping and climbing. Although catching and throwing are not named separately within the goal, ball play can contribute meaningfully to the coordination and movement control it describes.

In Key Stage 1, the National Curriculum for physical education expects pupils to master basic movements, including throwing and catching, while developing balance, agility and coordination. Pupils should also participate in team games and begin to use simple tactics.

The current edition of afPE’s Safe Practice in Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity is the 2024 edition. It supports schools in making informed decisions about supervision, space, equipment, teaching practice and risk management during physical activity.

Should balls be selected by age or ability?

Age provides a useful starting point, but it should not be the only consideration. Children of the same age can have very different movement experiences, confidence levels and physical needs.

Practitioners should also consider:

• Whether the child can visually track the ball
• Whether they can hold it comfortably
• How quickly the ball travels
• How predictable its movement is
• Whether the child is confident when an object approaches
• The space available for the activity
• The skill being taught
• Any physical, sensory or visual needs
• Whether children are working independently, with a partner or in a group

A larger ball is generally easier to see and provides a greater surface area for catching. A lightweight or slow-moving ball gives children more time to prepare their hands and body. Smaller balls demand more precise tracking, timing and hand control.

The aim is to find a productive level of challenge. Equipment should make success possible without removing the need for children to concentrate, adapt and practise.

Which balls are suitable at different stages?

The following guide offers practical starting points. It should be adapted to children’s individual development and the activity being taught.

Children should not be moved to smaller or faster equipment simply because they have reached a particular year group. If a larger soft ball enables better technique and greater participation, it remains an appropriate teaching resource.

Which balls work best for Nursery children?

For younger Nursery children, ball play should begin with exploration. Children may carry, squeeze, drop, push or chase a ball before they are ready to throw and catch with control.

Useful choices include:

• large soft balls
• Fabric balls
• textured sensory balls
• lightweight inflatable balls
• easy-grip balls
• Balls containing bells or other sound features

Larger balls are easier to see and can often be held with both hands. Soft materials can also reduce anxiety for children who are unsure about an object moving towards them.

Simple experiences might include rolling a ball down a slope, pushing it through a tunnel or rolling it towards a practitioner seated nearby. At this stage, the quality of exploration matters more than achieving a technically correct throw or catch.

Which balls are suitable for Reception?

Reception children benefit from repeated opportunities to consolidate control before activities become competitive. Soft foam balls, low-bounce balls and medium-sized playground balls can support children as they learn to:

• Roll accurately towards a target
• Stop a moving ball
• Throw underarm
• Catch with two hands
• Kick a stationary ball
• Move towards a rolling ball
• Aim into a hoop or large containers
• Work with a partner

Beanbags are also valuable. They do not roll away and move more slowly through the air, allowing children to concentrate on hand position, release and catching.

Practitioners can gradually increase difficulty by changing one feature at a time. For example, a child might first catch a beanbag, then a large foam ball and later a smaller ball. Changing the distance, speed and ball simultaneously can make it difficult to identify what the child is learning.

Which balls are suitable for Key Stage 1?

In Key Stage 1, pupils should continue developing fundamental movement skills while beginning to apply them in simple games. A varied PE set might include:

• Foam balls in different sizes
• low-bounce balls
• Tennis-style balls
• Junior footballs
• Junior netballs
• Junior basketballs
• Rugby-shaped foam balls
• Reaction balls
• Beanbags

Sport-specific balls can be introduced where they serve the learning intention, but children do not always need regulation-style equipment. A lighter or softer alternative may allow pupils to practise the same movement pattern more successfully.

For example, pupils learning to pass with their feet may initially use a soft, slightly larger ball. Once they can position the non-kicking foot, control force and direct the pass, practitioners can introduce a smaller junior football.

How do different ball features affect difficulty?

Ball size

Large balls are usually easier to see, track and receive. Smaller balls require more precise hand-eye coordination and are useful when children are ready for a greater challenge.

Weight

Lightweight balls require less force and often travel more slowly. Heavier balls can offer useful sensory feedback but must remain manageable for the child and appropriate for the activity.

Texture

Textured and easy-grip balls can help children maintain contact and understand where the ball is positioned. Smooth balls may be more difficult to control, particularly outdoors or when hands are wet.

Bounce

Low-bounce balls move more predictably and can help beginners develop confidence. High-bounce balls introduce additional demands because children must judge speed, height and direction.

Shape

Round balls generally travel predictably. Rugby-shaped balls and reaction balls bounce in less predictable directions, making them useful for more advanced tracking, agility and response activities.

Softness

Soft foam balls and fabric balls can reduce fear and help children practise receiving an object safely. Practitioners should still teach children to watch the ball and position their hands appropriately.

How can practitioners teach rolling skills?

Rolling is an accessible starting point because the ball remains on the ground and usually travels more slowly than a thrown ball. Children can begin by sitting with their legs apart and rolling a ball towards an adult or partner.

Practitioners can then introduce:

• Rolling through a wide goal
• Rolling towards skittles
• Following a pathway
• Rolling with one hand
• Stopping a partner’s ball
• Adjusting force for different distances
• Rolling around or between obstacles

Helpful prompts include “face your body towards the target”, “swing your arm back” and “let go towards your partner”. Too many instructions at once can interrupt movement, so use one clear cue connected to what the child is practising.

How can throwing and catching be developed progressively?

Catching can feel more threatening than rolling because the object moves towards the child through the air. Begin with slow and predictable equipment.

A useful progression is:

• Hold and explore a large soft balls.
• Catch a balloon or lightweight scarf.
• Catch a beanbag against the body.
• Catch a large foam ball with two hands.
• Catch after one bounce.
• Catch directly from a short distance.
• Increase the distance gradually.
• Introduce a smaller ball when control is secure.

For throwing, children can begin by placing or dropping objects into large containers before throwing underarm towards a close target. Overarm throwing can be introduced later through purposeful activities such as throwing at wall targets or over a low line.

Practitioners should create many opportunities to practise rather than long queues in which each child receives only one or two turns.

How can balls support kicking and foot control?

Early kicking activities should focus on balance, direction and controlled force. Children can practise:

• Kicking a stationary ball
• Walking towards and kicking a ball
• Stopping a rolling ball with the foot
• Passing between two markers
• Dribbling around widely spaced cones
• Kicking towards a large goal
• Passing to a partner over a short distance

Large goals can help beginners experience success, while smaller targets can be introduced as accuracy improves.

Some children naturally kick with the front of the foot. Practitioners can model placing the non-kicking foot beside the ball and using the inside of the foot for a more controlled pass, without turning an exploratory EYFS activity into an overly technical coaching session.

How can ball play be made inclusive?

Inclusive ball provision offers different ways to participate in the same learning experience. Practitioners might:

• Use larger or slower-moving balls
• Offer bright, high-contrast balls
• Provide balls with bells
• Use textured or easy-grip surfaces
• Reduce the throwing distance
• Allow a bounce before catching
• Use a ramp for rolling
• Replace catching with stopping or trapping
• Provide seated throwing and catching activities
• Reduce background noise and visual distraction
• Give children additional preparation time
• Use floor markers to clarify positions
• Pair children thoughtfully
• Break the movement into smaller steps

A child who cannot yet catch independently can still take part by rolling, pushing, trapping or choosing a target. Inclusion is not achieved by giving every child identical equipment. It comes from preserving the purpose of the activity while removing unnecessary barriers.

Hope Education encourages practitioners to observe what is making the task difficult. A change to the ball, distance, rules or environment may enable the child to demonstrate far more control and understanding.

What safety considerations apply to ball activities?

Ball activities should be planned with the children, environment and intended learning in mind. Practitioners should follow their setting’s procedures and consult current afPE safe-practice guidance when planning PE, school sport and physical activity.

Before an activity, check:

• Balls are undamaged, clean and suitably inflated
• The playing surface is appropriate and free from hazards
• There is enough space between children and groups
• Goals, targets and other equipment are stable
• Children understand where to move and wait
• The activity suits the pupils’ experience and ability
• Clothing, footwear and personal items are managed appropriately
• Supervision remains effective
• Medical, SEND and individual support needs have been considered
• Outdoor conditions are suitable

Practitioners should also control how many balls are in use. A large number of loose balls moving unpredictably through a small space can create avoidable collisions and distractions.

Safety should support participation rather than make activity unnecessarily restrictive. Clear routines, appropriate equipment and progressive teaching help children move confidently while learning to recognise and manage risk.

What challenges do practitioners commonly face?

Children are frightened of the ball

Begin with scarves, balloons, beanbags or large soft balls. Use rolling and self-directed exploration before asking the child to receive a thrown object.

Balls travel in every direction

Reduce group size, define activity spaces and choose lower-bounce equipment. Clear boundaries and simple routines can make practice more manageable.

Children have too few turns

Avoid long queues. Partner work, individual activity stations and enough equipment for small groups provide more meaningful practice.

Ability levels vary widely

Offer different balls, distances and target sizes within the same activity. Progress should be based on control and confidence rather than age alone.

Equipment is selected by sport rather than skill

Begin with the intended movement. If the focus is two-handed catching, a large foam ball may be more useful than a sport-specific ball that travels too quickly.

What does effective ball provision look like in practice?

A Reception team notices that several children avoid catching activities. The existing balls are relatively small and travel quickly, so the practitioners introduce scarves, beanbags and large soft balls.

Children begin by throwing a scarf upwards and catching it independently. They then work with a partner to pass a beanbag over a short distance. Once they are watching the object and preparing their hands, they move to a large foam ball.

A child who finds catching difficult uses a low-bounce balls and is allowed to trap it against their body. Another child who is ready for more challenge steps further away and catches after moving into space.

The learning intention remains consistent, but the equipment and level of challenge are adapted. This reflects the purposeful, child-centred physical development that Hope Education champions.

What common mistakes should practitioners avoid?

Moving to smaller balls too quickly

A small ball is not automatically more appropriate because children are older. Secure control with larger equipment provides a stronger foundation for progression.

Introducing competitive games before skills are secure

Games can motivate children, but they may also give confident pupils most of the contact with the ball. Practise the movement first, then apply it within a simple game.

Keeping children in long queues

Waiting reduces active learning time and can lead to distraction. Organise pairs, small groups or activity stations wherever possible.

Giving too many technical instructions

Young children usually benefit from a short demonstration and one or two clear cues. Extended explanations reduce movement time and may be difficult to remember.

Using only one type of ball

A varied selection allows practitioners to adjust size, texture, weight and bounce. It also helps children transfer their skills between different equipment and situations.

Treating mistakes as failure

Dropped catches and inaccurate throws provide useful information. Children need time to adjust their hands, force, timing and body position through repeated attempts.

How can educators get the most from ball activities?

Plan from the movement skill rather than the equipment. Decide whether children are learning to track, roll, stop, throw, catch, kick, bounce or apply a skill in a game. Then:

• Choose a ball that makes the learning accessible
• Demonstrate the movement clearly
• Keep instructions brief
• Maximise active practice
• Observe individual strategies
• Adjust one element at a time
• Provide achievable challenge
• Celebrate control and improvement
• Revisit skills regularly
• Introduce simple games only when they support learning

Children develop physical confidence through familiar movements practised in varied contexts. A short ball activity repeated regularly may be more effective than an occasional complex session.

How does Hope Education support physical development?

Hope Education supports the people who nurture young minds with physical development resources selected for real Early Years and primary settings.

We understand that one ball cannot meet every child’s needs or every learning intention. A purposeful range of soft balls, sensory balls, playground balls, beanbags, targets and activity equipment helps practitioners adjust challenge, encourage active participation and build the fundamental movement skills children need for confident physical learning.

Final Takeaway

Choose balls according to the skill, child and environment rather than relying on age labels alone. Begin with equipment that makes movement predictable and success achievable, then adjust size, weight, distance or bounce gradually.

With frequent practice and thoughtful support, ball play can help every child develop coordination, confidence and a positive relationship with physical activity.