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Physical Education

Toss and Catch

Overview

Children toss a soft object into the air and catch it with two hands, gradually increasing the height.

Learning Objective
Children develop two-handed catching technique by tossing and catching a soft object.

Resources needed

  • Beanbags, tied socks, or small cloth bundles — one per child

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Hold the beanbag in two hands.
  2. 2 Toss it up a little — just above the head — and catch.
  3. 3 Toss higher and catch.
  4. 4 Toss and clap once before catching.
  5. 5 Toss and clap twice before catching.
  6. 6 Toss, turn around once, and catch.
  7. 7 Pairs: toss to a partner from one step away, move one step back after three catches.

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Toss with one hand, catch with two.
  • Toss and catch while walking slowly.
  • Count consecutive catches without dropping — try to beat the class record.
More information

Teach: toss, catch, up, hands, ready. Use hand gestures to show the ready catching position — hands out, fingers spread, eyes up.

Use a larger, slower object such as a balloon or a scrunched paper ball for children who find catching difficult.

Are children watching the object all the way into their hands? Are they moving their hands to meet the object rather than waiting for it to land in their hands?

Tie an old sock into a knot — it is soft, slow, and easy to catch. No purchased equipment needed.

Children often look away just before the catch. Teach them to keep eyes on the object until it is secure in both hands.

Two-handed catching is a prerequisite skill for all ball games. Building it at early years through a slow, forgiving object is the most effective approach.

Activity details
Early Years Easy 15 minutes 5 minutes prep Solo, Pairs, Whole Class Indoor & Outdoor
Topics
Tossing Catching Hand-eye Coordination