Clean Up the Back Yard
Students practice the bump, set, and serve to get their balls over the net to the other teams side. After a certain length of time the game stops and we count up the number of balls on each side. Whichever side has less gets a point. If people hit balls after the end of the game or are rolling the ball under the net they will love a point. Change between each type of volleyball hit or allow students to choose which hit they would like to use.
Keep it Up -
Grade level: 2 and up. Equipment: one ball or balloon for every group of four to six students. The game: See how long your group can keep the ball or the balloon in the air, or count consecutive taps. No one may tap the ball twice in a row.Variation: Everyone must tap the ball once before anyone can tap it again. Safety: Tap softly. Use the verbal cue "tap", instead of "hit." Try to stay in your own area. Variation: Play one group against another. See which group can keep the ball up the longest. Variation: Give each group two or three pieces of equipment. Time each round for 30 seconds. If successful with one ball, try two the next round. If successful with two, try three.
Bump, Set, and Serve
Out students together into teams or three or four. Put out a large box of bean bags. Hang a hula hoop from each of the basketball hoops. Have students take the team volleyball to a hoop and bump, set, or serve through the hula hoop for one bean bag or into the basketball hoop for two bean bags. One hit and then get the volleyball back to the next person in line.
Oscar's Garbage Can- (see throwing skills) with volleyball hits
Catch My Serve-
Have all of the students on a team sitting down on one side of the net. Start the game with one person on the team acting as the teams first server. You could also have two starting servers. The object is for the server to serve the ball over and have one of their teammates catch the serve. Don’t let the kids move when they are waiting to make a catch. If they can catch the serve then they get to join the server as a server. First team to get everyone up and to the other side as a server would win. I also read about a school that had students lay down. If the students were hit by a serve then they got to join the server and act as a server.
Volleybomb-
Each team has 10 bowling pins or cones setup on their side of the net. Students are serving from behind the back line. Students are attempting to serve over the net and knock down the 10 cones/pins. First team to knock down each of the 10 cones on the other side of the net. If students don’t serve over the net they run the risk of the ball coming back toward them and knocking down the pins on their side (the other teams). Might need to watch out for people hitting under the net.
Hot Shot Volleyball-
Put together 4 to 6 teams at cones. Set out three lines of poly dots. A set of spots making a line next to the volleyball net. A set of spots that are half way between the net and the serving line. One set of dots along the serving line (back line). Give each team two volleyballs so two people can go at the same time. Students will serve from the serving line poly dots. Students will bump (with a self-toss) from the middle line of poly dots. Students will set (with a self-toss) from the poly dots along the net. Students get one chance and then they go back to their team. The challenge can be different depending on the class of kids. Kindergarten gets to take the dots back if the are able to use the volleyball hit to get it over the net. I set out a mat or two for older kids who have to have a direct hit of the mat with their bump, set, serve to get the dot. As the older kids get more and more of the dots I start to fold up the mat to make their target smaller. To make it more exciting you can give the dots different values for the different colors.
Hot Shot with Defense
Put together 4 teams- 3 at cones on one side and 1 on the other playing defense. Everyone minute or two have the teams rotate so that each team gets a chance to play defense. Layout two or three mats on the gym floor. These will be the targets for the offensive teams to try to hit. They can use a serve, set, or bump from anywhere on their side of the court and are trying to hit a direct shot on one of the mats. The ball can't bounce on the floor first and then hit the mat. The defensive team is trying to keep the balls from reach the mats. They only get bumps and sets to defend the mats. If a ball is defended but hits a mat the offensive team can grab a spot. This is the only time a non-direct shot is allowed a point. I like to put a stack of polydots under the net for the teams to grab when they hit the mat. Team with the most spots at the end wins. Remind the kids to bring their spots with them when they rotate.
Battleship Volleyball
Put two teams on different sides of the net. Put out 5 balls on each side. Unfold two mats on each side. The mats are acting as the battleships. Students are trying to use their volleyball hits to have a direct hit on a ship. If they do, I place a polydot to represent that the ship has been hit. When a ship has been hit 3 or 5 times then that ship is sunk. Students may defend their ships using bumps and sets (younger kids are also allowed to catch). Reminder kids to give themselves a self-toss for bumps and sets so that they aren't throwing over the net. I don't allow anyone to touch the ships. I keep this game to 10 balls as it is too hard to keep track of all the ships and hits when there are more balls flying around.
Volleyball Zoo
Two teams with one on each side. 3 mats on each side with a handful of rubber animals on each mat. Students use serves, bumps, or sets to hit over the net and try to land it on the other teams mats. If successful they get to run across and grab an animal to add to their collection. One guard per mat can defend the mat.
Newcomb
Modified volleyball with the ability to catch. Practice scoring, spots, rotation, faults, court coverage and using volleyball hits. Used a beachball to start.
Container Volleyball
Two teams with lots of volleyballs all around. Setup three containers on each side (mats setup on end). Students are trying to volleyball hit their ball into the other teams container. Other team can have one guard for each container and can use volleyball hits to knock the balls away. Students may move all the way to the middle line to make hits. For younger's you could bring containers closer. For more advanced you could add a net to the middle.
Volleyball Nascar
See Nascar (Collect the Toys in tossing and catching). Middle student will toss to the outside student who will bumps or set and then the tosser will try to catch. If caught they get to grab a point (stick/cup/beanbag). Outside student runs around the circle after each try and take the place of the inner student.
Primary K-2 Lesson Map
Bumps and Sets Instruction- Oscar the Grouch
Bumps, Set and add Serves- Catch My Serve
Teacher Toss Bumps and Sets- Hot Shot
Teacher Toss Bumps and Sets- Volleyball Zoo
Other Ideas: Clean Up the Backyard, Container Volleyball
Intermediate 3-5 Lesson Map
Bumps, Sets, and Serve with partners- Keep it Up
Bumps, Sets, and Serves with partners- Catch My Serve/Volleybomb
Quick partner warm up with bumps, sets, and serves- Volleyball Zoo
Quick partner warm up with bumps, sets, and serves- Newcomb
Other ideas: 4 Square Volleyball, Nascar Volleyball, Container Volleyball