Bean Bag Toss

Activity Overview

By walking and running in their environments, children get integral practice in order to gain control over dexterity, aim, and hand-eye coordination. Climbing stairs, playing sports, group play, dance and a host of other movement activities build a child's core trunk muscles, gross motor fluidity, agility and gracefulness. This activity allows the student to initially explore the experience in a way that they can find success in, and can be as challenging or as supported as they need.

What You Need

• Sewing Hopscotch Markers activity

• Three or more plastic or metal bowls large enough to hold a bean bag

• Dish towel

• Bean Bag Toss Set Up

Steps

1. Make at least two bean bags – three per child works best!

2. For younger children, place a dish towel on the floor or ground to mark the space where they will throw from, and place the bowls about two feet in front of the child in a row. Refer to the Bean Bag Toss Set Up for a visual map.

3. Show them how to throw the bean bag underhand and overhand, and how to step into a throw, this reminder will help orient their body how to move.

4. Have the child try to throw all three bags into one bowl. Once they can do that, they can move to the next, and then the last.

5. Move one or all of the bowls further away to increase the challenge.

Guiding Questions

• How does the bean bag feel? Is it light or heavy?

• How can you move your body when you throw? Do we stand still? Do we move?

• How do we aim the beanbag? How can we control how far we throw it?

• Can you throw it fast? Slow?

• Can you practice throwing to a partner? Can you catch it when the partner throws it to you?

• Can you explore different ways of balancing while throwing or catching?

Extensions

• How far away can you put a bowl and land the bean bag in it?

• Experiment with the way you throw. Can you throw balancing on one foot? Can you throw it facing backward? Can you throw it through your legs?