“Bonk” might be one of my favorite games to play simply because it’s wonderful to see the enjoyment the young children get from playing it. It’s one of those coordination games where the kids spend so much time giggling and thinking about how hysterical it is, that they never even think about its utility.
Ankle Biters Tennis Games – Bonk
- Have the child hold a tennis ball in their non-dominant hand (if you know which it is since some children can use both easily)
- Remind them to have the ball above the hand so they see that the ball is supposed to go up
- Laugh out loud when the child thinks it’s hystericalnce on their head: “Bonk!”
- Laugh out loud when the child thinks it’s hysterical
Bonk is a wonderful game – for the obvious reason that children find it entertaining and will continue to play the game without requiring much encouragement. It is also surprisingly worthwhile for a couple of not so obvious reasons:
- The game allows a child to explore their spatial awareness in the third dimension. They learn to track an object moving not only side to side or forward and backwards, but up and down as well – This is the single act of ‘tossing’ the ball upward and learning where it lands
- This game also reminds children that tennis balls are not necessarily to be feared. Since we use soft, pressureless tennis balls, the kids learn that they are unlikely to be harmed, at least not by their own ball toss
So whenever you want to get a child started acquiring simple skills useful to their future tennis careers, be sure to start with Bonk! Then you can look forward to the “OMG” look on their face, years later, when the skill of “throwing up” becomes quite useful while learning to serve on a tennis court.
Good luck, and remind your child of Rule #1 of Tennis for Children:
- Never try to hit the ball with your face!
Point of Clarification: as I use the terms, the word “throw” assumes an overhand motion while the word “toss” uses an underhand motion.
