How to Juggle - Splats Entertainment

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How to Juggle

How to Juggle

The 3 Ball Cascade

The basic juggling pattern is called The Cascade. The cascade is a crossing pattern where each ball is thrown as another one peaks. It is different to the pattern where two balls are passed around in a circle.

Step One - The Target points

First of all to help you understand where to look at and aim your throws at we will explain the target points. If you hold your hands straight up in the air, where they reach are your left and right target points.

Target points

Step Two - The One Ball Swing

This is the throwing action that is needed to learn to juggle.
Swing the ball up across your body past your middle up to the opposite target point. Catch in your opposite hand. Then swing it back again from the other hand. Each time make sure you wait for the ball to come down to your hand. Reaching up to catch the ball gives you a lot less time.

Swing

Step Three - The Two Ball Cross

Hold one ball in each hand. Swing one ball across and up to the opposite target point. When it reaches there swing the second ball up and across to the opposite target point. To begin with make not attempt to catch!

The rhythm is Swing . . . Swing . . . Drop . . . Drop

Then catch one, catch the other.

The rhythm is Scoop . . . Scoop. . . Catch . . . Catch

Cross

Keep practising this until you are very relaxed and are catching them both in a staggered rhythm. Please note you can't keep juggling with two in this pattern - it is just a pattern to lead onto 3.

Step Four - The Three Ball Cascade

Put two balls in the hand you want to start from and one in the other. Always start from the hand holding two.

Repeat the two ball cascade and when the second ball peaks, throw the third to the opposite corner. It helps at first to just throw the third ball without catching.

The third throw

Then when the third ball peaks throw the next ball underneath it.

The fourth throw

To keep going, carry on throwing under each peaking ball, throwing corner to corner. See how many throws you can do

Happy juggling!

OTHER SKILLS WE TEACH

	Juggling Scarves - How to Juggle Scarves We teach initially with scarves as they float and therefore make it possible for even the youngest child to catch. They are great for encouraging pupils to make up tricks of their own and for partner and group work. You can also use them to teach the 3 object pattern although there's no substitute for using beanbags to actually learn the cascade.
	Juggling balls - How to Juggle 3 Balls We teach using beanbags as they are softer than balls and easier for children to catch. The splats ball/ beanbag we have designed as part of our splat pack is a really perfect tool for learning to juggle. We teach pupils 1 - 3 ball juggling. The key pattern you will find out is to learn to cross the balls in an alternate pattern rather than passing them in a circle. To help learn this, the secret is - believe it or not - is to encourage pupils to drop. If you take the emphasis away from the catching and place it on the throw - eventually the catch will take care of itself.
	Diabolo - How to use a Diabolo Diabolos are brilliant for Year 3 (ish) and above. Once you can get the diabolo spinning it can be thrown and caught in as many ways as you can imagine. The pupils will really take over and teach each other.
	Chinese Ribbons A really beautiful way for the pupils to express their movement. Very simple to use so ideal for all ages and particularly good when linked with music and dance.
	Spinning plates - How to Spin a Plate Never ceases to fascinate children and adults. They are great as they can be used by children as young as nursery as just to balance the plate on the stick is visually interesting. To actually get the plate spinning from a standing start is the key and a great challenge.
	Peacock feathers By far the best way to introduce pupils to the concept of balance. Because they move so slowly it enables the pupils to move with them and with such a visual cue of the eye of the peacock. Balance on a finger - chin - nose!
	Stilts We use hold on wooden stilts - very safe but still a great challenge as the pupils can get the chance to be as high as the teacher. The teacher of course usually can't resist getting on and reliving their childhood.
	Poi We use both mouse poi which a re great for younger pupils and soft tail poi. They are a great way to develop coordination and rhythm - excellent for shows and for use with music. We also have small poi flags - very visual and rewarding to spin.