Suggested Adapted Activities
By Angelo Montagnino

Ball Sports

Suggested balls: bright, air filled, large, lightweight plastic, beach balls, nerf balls or balloons or the new, large, soft lightweight volleyballs

Use tactual clues to help kids see or hear targets by adding color, making them larger, or moving them closer

1. Volleyball—practice by self with plastic ball. Toss against the wall and catch it on the fly or on the bounce. Strike ball against the wall with one or both hands. Playing the ball on the bounce would be easiest. Try tossing the ball against the wall from a longer distance and catch on a roll or several bounces.

2. Newcomb—if totally blind, teacher could stand next to student. Position child slightly out of bounds. Do the serving and toss the ball over the net after the teacher or buddy catches it and hands the ball to he child. Also possible if teams are small, non-aggressive and lightweight plastic or beach ball is used.

3. Dribbling—plastic ball or basketball if student can control the ball. Soccer dribble by slowly moving toward the goal. Hockey style by moving ball back and forth across the room, striking into the goal (under a bench, into a turned over can, etc. for the goal)

4. Play catch—possibly bounce or roll ball

5. Throw ball—into wastebasket or knock down milk cartons

6. Bowling—plastic pins, milk cartons, etc. (set up near wall)

7. Tether ball or tap ball—hang a balloon or beachball from ceiling or doorway or next to a pole. Tap it back and forth, around pole or try to tap it up to the ceiling. If needed add a bell to string above ball or balloon

8. Floor shuffleboard—broom or stick—pieces of wood or disk

9. Bean bags—tossed at targets or into a wastebasket

10. Jumping rope—turning for others if unable to jump

11. Golf or hockey golf—try to hit a target or strike a ball into a target from various areas. Put target behind something or change distance. Put two or more obstacles in the way (chairs, pails, etc.)

12. Horseshoe (rubber) pitching, ring toss, quoits

13. Darts—velcro or toss erasers at elevated target

Mini Games

14. Balloon keep upkeep tapping balloon into air as long as you can or tap while you walk to a destination

15. Wall ball—toss ball at wall and catch it, do it with a partner

16. Hand ball—same procedure but try to strike ball with one or both hands (palms)

17. Volleyball—use a balloon or beachball

18. Tennis or bounce Newcomb—use a low net, if needed with as many bounces as needed

19. Goal ball—try to roll ball over opponent's goal

20. One on One—goalie or striker—soccer, hockey use very safe nerf ball at a safe distance

21. Shoot baskets—use a low basket and a safe ball

22. Frisbee—use a nerf Frisbee or a beeping Frisbee. Keep it low, and say "It's coming" while you throw with both hands

Suggested Physical Activities

1. Walking—with a partner over grass, cement and blacktop, gravel, sand and dirt, uphill and downhill, up and down stairs, over rocky terrain, over logs and other obstacles and terrain which includes bumps and holes

2. Jogging—slowly and holding hands with aide

3. Running—short distance while holding hands

4. Hopping for appx. 60 seconds on two and one foot

5. Jumping—stand and jump as far as you can

6. Leaping—take several steps and jump on a safe place, like on a mat

7. Run in place

8. Skip with a partner

9. Slide by taking several quick steps sideways left and right

10. Gallop—a walk/run with the same foot leading, back foot is brought up to but not past front foot

On Mats

11. Log roll—flat on back, arms up and roll over and over sideways

12. Crab walk—sit down and raise up on hands and feet and walk backward, forward and sidewards

13. Bear walk—on hands and feet-stiff-move right arm and right leg, then left arm and left leg

14. Duck walk—squat, place hands on knees, waddle and quack

15. Seal walk—hands on floor, extend legs backward, walk forward dragging legs

16. Inch worm—on hands and feet, walk feet toward the hands then walk the hands forward to stretch out again

17. Walrus walk—same as seal, but point fingers out and move forward by moving both hands forward at the same time

18. Frog hop—squat, place hands on floor in front of feet and hop forward

19. The crane—raise one leg off the floor, raise both arms to the side, hop turning left or right

Exercises (Mild Exertion)

20. Simple balances

21. Walk forward, backward, sideward on very low balance beam with assistance

22. Simple forward and backward rolls, with teacher

23. Modified pushups

24. Jumping Jacks

25. Toe touches

Step and Jump

1. Step onto low object

2. Step off object

3. Jump off very low object

4. Jump onto very low object

5. Step over very low object

6. Take several steps across object (could be strip of rug)

7. Step over very low and narrow object (rope or strip of cloth)

8. Jump over object

9. Jump back and forth over rope

10. Combine 8 and 9 for a series

11. Jump sideways over rope

12. Create a pattern of stepping stones and walk across. Change pattern. Use two feet on each stone. Use one foot on each stone.

Balance Beam Activities

A regular low balance beam or a long narrow 6-12 inch wide rectangular board supported by two bases, probably several inches high.

1. Walk forward and backward placing one foot in front of the other

2. Walk sideways on the beam

3. Crawl across

4. Scoot across

5. Walk across with one foot on and one foot off balance beam

6. Straddle balance beam

7. Walk up balance beam used as an incline plane (one end of beam supported by box)

8. Walk down inclined balance beam.

If needed, use a strip of rug/carpet, a flat board on the floor and several pieces of carpet for a step on stones effect.

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