This month’s featured sport is badminton! We have recently published our first unit of this exciting and inclusive net-wall game for year 3.  We will be adding a full complement of badminton lesson plans for the whole of key stage 2 in due course.

Develop hand-eye coordination

Hand-eye coordination is an essential skill for children to develop in their PE lessons and benefits many activity areas.  Children can master hand-eye coordination through a variety of net-wall games including tennis and racquetball; however, badminton can often be a more accessible starting point. The shuttlecocks natural flight is slower than a ball allowing more time to be hit.   This slower pace will enable children to get to grips with this fun and what can be, fast-paced sport in a manageable way.

Inclusive

Short handled racquets are available for children learning the sport, which are also useful for shorter pupils or pupils in wheelchairs.  The short handle means the shuttle is easier to hit as the head of the racquet is closer to the hand.  The further away it is the harder it becomes to hit.   A great way to start playing badminton during primary school PE lessons is with balloons and racquets. Pupils can play in small teams or pairs gaining points by keeping the balloon in the air.

Working cooperatively

Pupils can play badminton in pairs and groups which will help develop their cooperation skills.  There are many types of pairs games that can be played to develop cooperation such as maximum rallies to badminton ‘volleyball’ and ‘keep the kettle boiling’.

Competition

Competition doesn’t just have to be one player versus another.  Pupils can try to beat their score by hitting the shuttle or balloon into the air without dropping or teams working to keep a rally going.  Why not try this cooperative but competitive activity found in our badminton PE lessons plans with your pupils?

Rally = Unbroken returns between two or more players

• This activity is a game of cooperation between the two players.
• Children should be in pairs with as much space as possible. Each pair will play over a bench or cones (only use a net with pupils able to rally over with limited mistakes).
• Children can serve anyway they feel comfortable, they can throw the shuttlecock over to get the rally started if needed.
• Children should rally aiming for the highest score they can without the shuttle going into someone else area or hitting the floor. Remind children they are working together so hits should be too hard so that your partner cannot return it.  Give children plenty of time to practice before moving onto the skill development.

Have you been teaching badminton in your school or club?   What are your experiences of this fun activity? Share them with us on Twitter @thepehub or on our Facebook page.

Enter your details to receive information on how we work with schools & organisations like yours. Or if you have a question, either contact us or fill out the form below.