EQUIPMENT: Racquet (of any size or type). These games are for any age or level, however hand weight bearing games require a minimum age of 12.
COCONUT SHIES: Players place racquets against the front wall, heads pointing skyward. To hit the racquet, players can toss balls from three different locations: two meters away, behind the short line, or behind the service box. The timer was set for two minutes. The player with the most racquet hits wins.
MOVING PLANK: Players run from the rear of the court to the front in a “high plank” position, racquets between their feet. If they drop the racquet, they have to start over.
PICK AND PUT: A racquet is placed on the ground at each corner of the court and on the T. A ball is placed on a racquet on the T, as well as on the three other racquets in the corner. Two players compete against one another, although this can also be a team game. Player 1 must place all of the balls on the racquet in the T, while Player 2 must place all of the balls in the corners. The first person to accomplish the challenge is declared the winner.
CONE MINI DOUBLES SQUASH: Put cones down a short line and tape a rope to the top to form a short net. Participate in pairs against one another with one player in each quarter of the court. Players must hit a mini-squash ball indirectly over the rope, first impact must hit the side wall before bouncing on the opposite side. Each player stays in their own quarter and can play either forehand or backhand. The scoring is point-a-rally, with one couple competing against the other. Scoring: Play is to 15, with players rotating from back to front when one team scores 7 points.
TWO TEAM BALL FETCH: Variation One: Two teams stand at the back of the court. Racquets are lined up on either side of the court, each with a ball. Two buckets are positioned on the front wall. Player 1 from each team grabs the ball from the first racquet, runs to drop it into their bucket, and repeats with the remaining balls. Player 2 from each team returns the balls from the bucket to their racquets, and so on until all players have participated. Repeat for the rest of the squad. The first team to finish wins.
FOUR TEAM BALL FETCH: Variation two: Divide the players into four equal groups and place each in a corner with a racquet on the floor. Put 12 balls on a racquet in the center of the court (not the T). Each team’s player roster should be numbered. The game begins with the number one from each team sprinting to pick up a ball off the racquet in the center, one at a time, and place it on the racquet in their own corner. The first player to have three balls on the racquet receives one point, the second two points, the third three points, and so on. Continue until all players have played; the lowest scorers win.
TEAM BALL PASSES: Variation one: Players form a large circle with a mini squash or foam ball and attempt to bounce the ball once on their own racquet before carefully passing it to their team mate to the right. Continue around the circle, striving to control the bounces and avoid halting or allowing the ball to contact the ground. Determine how many passes can be performed without making a mistake.
TEAM BALL PASSES: Variation two: Players bounce the ball high on the racquet. Players are in an inward-facing circle and bounce the ball three times on the racquet before passing it to the next player on the left and turning to take the ball from the player on the right.
PAIRS BALL PASSES: Players team up. They both bounce one ball with their racquet before trading it on the third bounce. Count how many times you can switch the ball with your partner.
CLEAN OUT YOUR ROOM! Two teams, one in front of the court and the other at the back. Each player has a racquet that can be used as a stick. The teacher/captain divides a large number of balls evenly (any form of ball can be used) and throws them to the floor. The goal is to use the “stick” to clear the balls to the other side of the court. Play for one minute, then count the balls in each half. The winning team has fewer balls on the ground in their half of the court. Best of five games – For safety make sure to tell players to just PUSH the ball, not swing and hit it.
SNOOKER: Players use the end of their racquets to play “Snooker” with both mini and standard squash balls. Two players are assigned to each side of the court, allowing two games to be played concurrently. “Pockets” (rubber circles) can be positioned anywhere on the half court, near a wall, and the ball is “pocketed” when it makes contact with the circle. First player to achieve a score of nine.
