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Back to Activity Guides : Get the Acrobat Version

RolaRang™ Activity Guide

Created And Written By Tom Heck

#1-26433

Introduction

RolaRangs are at their best when bounced or rolled. Bounce a RolaRang and you'll find it difficult to guess where it will end up or how many times it will change directions. Roll one out like a bowling ball and it's more likely than a boomerang to come full-circle right back to you. In this guide you'll find many activities designed to help you and your students get the most from your RolaRang.

Activities

Rollerball

  1. This game is a combination of bowling and dodge ball.
  2. Students stand in a ring, facing outward in the defensive stance. Three other students go around the outside and roll RolaRangs (1 each), toward the ring of students.
  3. If it touches a student rolling IN or OUT of the ring, they change places. With 3 RolaRangs moving at the same time, both in and out of the ring, it really keeps them on their toes.
  4. Skills practiced are agility, quickness, stance/slide (basketball, baseball).

Rollerbowl

  1. This game is a combination of croquet and bowling.
  2. Groups of 5 students (entire class) take turns. Four students stand side by side, in a row, with their feet about 2' apart.
  3. The 5th student is about 30', 40' or 50' away and facing them. He/she rolls the RolaRang toward the row of 4 students.
  4. If it goes between their feet, they get 3 points. If it hits their feet they get one point. If he/she misses the row entirely, no points are earned.
  5. At this point, the person on the right end sprints, picks up the RolaRang, sprints to the line and rolls it, while the former roller sprints to join the row on the left end.
  6. Another version would be to have 4 points for the left-most, 3 points next, 2 points next and only one point for the right-most student, assuming the ball is rolling counter-clockwise. The first student to achieve 21 points wins that round. Winners could have a "showdown" competition, while others could replay.
  7. Another version may include bowling pins. Each team has one or more bowling pins set up 30-50 feet in front of their line. They would stand in line and the first person would bowl their RolaRang at the pins. The team would get 1 point every time one of their pins is knocked down. (Even if another team's RolaRang accidentally hit their pins.) Upon knocking the pins down, that player would sprint down the lane, set up the pins again, retrieve RolaRang and bring it back to the next person in line. The team with the most points at the end of a certain time period, say by the time a song plays from beginning to end, would win.
  8. Skills practiced are running, aiming and spatial estimation.
  9. Fitness: Cardio - pushups, curl-ups and stretching could easily be incorporated. When the others are sprinting from place to place, the students left in line could do an exercise.

Roll & Catch

  1. Similar to "toss & catch" with baseball.
  2. Class is in 2 rows of students facing each other, in "pairs."
  3. Each pair is about ten feet apart. Each pair has a RolaRang�.
  4. One partner rolls the RolaRang to the other, who must use the "slide" to pick it up between their feet. When their partner picks it up, they step back one step and roll it back in a similar manner to the first person. They keep rolling back and forth, each time, stepping back one step more.
  5. This continues until it gets "too hard to do." The instructor may also have the best pairs compete together, while the others roll again with new partners.
  6. The best pair keeps competing on one side of the gym, while the others continue on the rest of the gym. This could be a good baseball/softball ground-ball catching drill and could incorporate baseball gloves. Encourage kids to slide and catch RolaRang in front of their body like they would if a grounder were hit to them.
  7. Skills practiced are sliding, stance and aiming.

RolaRang Partner Fitness Shuffle Board

  1. Mark different zones on the gym floor with different numbers which correspond with different fitness activities: Zone 1 = 2 pull-ups, Zone 2 = 5 sit-ups, Zone 3 = 5 pushups, Zone 4 = 10 jump ropes, Zone 5= 10 step-ups, etc. on a list posted on the wall.
  2. Each partner rolls the RolaRang, until it stops in a zone, and then multiplies the number of orbits by the number of reps on the list.
  3. After each partner's RolaRang stops in a zone, the partner will do their exercises.
  4. Play for 15 minutes or until all exercises have been done at least once.

RolaRang Chicken

  1. Students in different groups of 3 or 4 take turns rolling the RolaRang.
  2. Every person in the group moves to see how close they can get to the RolaRang without touching it for the duration of its movement. When it touches someone, that person rolls it next.

RolaRang 500

  1. One student, in a group of 5 or 6, rolls the RolaRang and calls out a number.
  2. The others in the group run to get into position so that the RolaRang rolls between their feet.
  3. Students multiply the number of orbits before the RolaRang passes under them by the number the roller calls out, and they keep score.
  4. The first player to get to 500 wins and is the next roller.

Rapid RolaRangs

  1. Get 30 to 40 RolaRangs moving and keep them moving.
  2. If the teacher sees a RolaRang that is not moving, he or she points to it and counts backward from 3. If the teacher gets to zero before someone gets it moving again, the class gets a strike.
  3. After 3 strikes, the class stops and does a fitness activity together.

Stop It

  1. Divide the class in half. Half of the class stands on one end of the gym, while the other half, all of which have RolaRangs, rolls them into the middle of the gym.
  2. When the teacher says go, he or she starts a stopwatch, and all the students on the other end have to stop all the RolaRangs and lay them flat on the floor.
  3. When the last RolaRang is lying flat, the teacher stops the stopwatch. The other side rolls next, and the teacher times the other half.
  4. The fastest time wins. Play the best out of 7 times or however many turns class time allows.

Scoring Games

Terms For Games

    Orbit: A complete rolling circle using a player's position as a starting point.
    Edging: Rolling in a straight line (hint: Lean top edge out).
    Kick-up: As RolaRang is moving toward a player, that player uses their toe or edge of their foot to kick it into the air to catch it.
    High Roller: RolaRang is released at the height of 2 or 3 feet, causing it to bounce before orbiting.
    Hick-Up: A high-roller plus a kick-up.
    Jet-Kick: Set RolaRang on the floor and kick it using only the flat bottom of the foot.
    Illustrations Legend: P = Player, T = Target

Orbit Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players. Players are stationary, about 10' apart, facing each other.
Objective: Roll the RolaRang so that it crosses an imaginary line between players as many times as possible, orbiting around other players.
Scoring: One point is scored each time the imaginary line is crossed. First to 21 points wins.
Variation: Use 2 RolaRangs at once, 1 for each player. Players move farther apart.

Count Up Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players.
Objective: To orbit as many times as possible beyond 9.
Scoring: One point is scored for each orbit beyond 9. The highest score wins.

Demolition Derby Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players.
Objective: To have as many RolaRangs still on the edge as possible after being rolled.
Play: Hold 3 or 4 RolaRangs in one hand, side-by-side and roll them all at once. All must orbit at least 2 times or the turn is disqualified. Players must let them stop.
Scoring: One point is scored for each one still on its edge. First player to get 21 points wins.

Grasshopper Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players.
Objective: Using "hick-up" moves, players count how many times in a row they can "hick-up."
Scoring: The highest score of "hick-ups" wins.
Variation: Keep increasing the distance between players; use the "jet-kick" or the "drop-kick" methods; play in teams.

1-2-3 Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players.
Objective: To move to a position so that the RolaRang stops by hitting the player's foot after orbiting the number of times called out by the player.
Play: A player calls out the number 1, 2 or 3, rolls the RolaRang, then steps to a position where the player thinks the RolaRang will stop after orbiting a selected number of times.
Scoring: If correct, a player gets the number of points called out. If wrong, the player looses that number of points. The first player to get 21 points wins.

Orbit Tag Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players.
Objective: To have as many RolaRangs still on edge and stopped after rolling 3 or more in a row.
Play: A player rolls the first RolaRang. The second RolaRang is rolled after the first has made orbit. The third is rolled after the second has made 1 orbit.
Scoring: One point is scored for the RolaRang still on the edge after all the others have stopped. The first player to get 21 points wins.

Rola-Bowl Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players.
Objective: To hit your target (e.g. a can) by rolling exactly one half of an orbit.
Play: One player stands 10' or more to the side, perpendicular to the target. Roll a half-circle path to score a "strike," as in bowling.
Scoring: The first player with 21 strikes wins.
Variation: Roll in a straight line by "edging." How far can you roll it by edging?

Spiral Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players.
Objective: To try to hit a target after a specified number of orbits.
Play: Put a target (e.g. a can) in the middle of a playing area. Each player rolls in turn and tries to hit the can any time after the 3rd (or designated) orbit.
Scoring: A hit = 3 points. The first player to get 21 points wins.

Juggle Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players.
Objective: To make 2 RolaRangs� collide while traveling.
Play: One player holds one RolaRang in each hand so that the small flat sides of both RolaRangs are toward the player's body. Both RolaRangs are rolled at the same time so that they cross 5' or more in front of the player.
Scoring: A collision = 1 point. The first player to get 15 points wins.

Twins Game
Players: Requires 2 or more players.
Objective: To have 2 RolaRangs separate after being rolled together on their edges.
Play: Hold the RolaRangs together in one hand, facing them in the same direction, then roll them at the same time. They will start out side-by-side, then separate and come back together. Let them stop.
Scoring: One point is scored for each RolaRang still standing on its edge.
Three points are scored if both are on the edge and touching. Five points are scored if both stop on the edge with the same sides touching as when they started. The first player to get 21 points wins.

Arches Game
Players: Requires 3 or more players.
Objective: To roll a RolaRang through as many "arches" as possible.
Play: Player 1 throws first. The other players form the "arches" by standing with their feet apart. The "arches" keep their right sides toward the center of an imaginary circle. Each turn begins with the "arches" forming a circle about 12' in diameter. Player 1 rolls the RolaRang so it passes through each "arch" without touching it. If successful, each "arch" moves to a new position, 1 step farther from the center of the circle. A player's turn is over if they are not successful after 3 tries.
Scoring: One point is scored for each successful orbit through the smallest circle. Two points are scored for the next largest circle. Three points are scored for the next largest, etc. The first player to get to 21 points wins.

Circus
Players: Requires 1 or more players.
Objective: To roll 2 RolaRangs in opposite directions and have orbits overlap.
Scoring: None.

Hook-Shot
Players: Requires 1 or more players.
Objective: Roll the RolaRang so it curves and hits a target behind an obstacle.
Scoring: None.