Rolling planets

From the house

• 2–3 balls of different sizes
• A yellow cushion or towel (the Sun)

How to play

1. Put the yellow cushion on the floor next to you: “This is the Sun.”
2. Sit facing each other with legs apart and roll a ball across: “Here comes a planet!”
3. They roll or push it back. Try the big ball, then the small one.
4. Roll the balls slowly around the Sun cushion, saying “round and round the Sun”.

Fit it to your child

• Easier: Sit close with your legs in a V around them so the ball can’t roll away.
• Harder: Name the balls: the biggest is Jupiter, the biggest planet, and a smaller one is Earth, our home.

Words to use

• ball
• round
• roll
• big
• small
• Sun

Why it helps

Rolling a ball back and forth builds coordination and turn-taking, and planets are round just like their balls.