A fun variation on throwing and catching best played with a soft ball, this game helps increase reaction skills and keeps kids engaged. The premise is simple. Two or more people are playing catch. Before catching the ball, players must clap their hands together as many times as possible before making a catch. If they do, they get a point for every successful clap; if they fail to clap in time or drop the ball, they lose a point. First to 20 wins. 10. Bounce Catch We have a wide range of garden games to help kids make the most of summer days, from classic sports sets and giant-sized board games to role play gardening toys for tots. Here’s how it plays out: The person whose number is called must try to catch or retrieve the ball; all other players must run away. Once the designated player retrieves the ball, they shout “Spud!” When this happens, the other players must freeze. The player who has the ball may take four steps, yelling “S!” “P!” “U! “D!” as they do so. They must then try to hit another player by throwing or rolling the ball. Frozen players aren’t allowed to move their feet, but can catch the ball or wiggle their hips/bend to avoid a toss. If the thrower successfully hits or a player targeted tries to catch but misses, they receive a letter (S, P, U, and then D); if the ball is caught, the thrower receives a letter. The player who receives a letter is the next thrower and the game repeats. Once someone spells out SPUD, they are out of the game; the last player remaining wins. 6. Hoop Throw A classic spin on traditional catch that works best with three people or more. One designated thrower stands an agreed-upon distance away from the rest of the players, all of whom are catchers. The thrower tosses the ball high in the air and shouts out a number between 25 and 500. Whoever catches the ball without dropping it gets the amount of points; if they drop it, they lose that amount of points. The game lasts until someone achieves 500 or more points. (Kids having trouble catching those high tosses? This is h ow to teach a kid to field a fly ball, in six steps) 2. Five Dollars It is important for a child to learn how to throw so that they can play sports if they wish. Additionally, many school and playground activities involve throwing and catching a ball.

The simplest action to take with a ball is to toss it. The games in the section work for any age group and are sure to provide fun. The directions are very simple to understand. Hot Potato Bounce catch but consider the ante upped. Players stand further away from one another and try to achieve a coveted double bounce. 12. Two Ball CatchFor younger kids, garden games can be the perfect opportunity for some role play fun. Cook up a storm with an outdoor play kitchen, or potter around the garden with wheelbarrow sets and role play lawnmowers. A toy watering can will water the flowers just as well as a real one, so why not encourage your kids to get involved as you garden? It’s the perfect chance to teach them all about the nature around them. Station 3: Have a target on the floor or ground for the thrower to hit. You can use tape to make an X. The first thing a child learns in ball handling is the overhand throw. Most children can perform an overhand throw easily. However, accuracy counts when playing most games. Use a target on a wall or the ground to increase accurate throws. Follow these eight steps, beginning slowly and increasing the pace, when teaching how to throw overhand: Lift arm so that ball is pointing to the target and near the ear on the side of the arm they are throwing with. We have changed the traditional game of Hot Potato, where an object is passed around a circle, and turned it into a more challenging ball toss game. Have the players get in a circle; the size of the circle depends on the number and age of the players. You want players to be far enough apart that the ball can be thrown with ease and caught. Give the ball to the first player. Instruct them to toss the ball to another player in the circle. You can either play music and turn it off or use a timer. The player caught holding the ball is out of the game. The last person left in the circle wins this fast-pass game. Wall Ball

If your players need to have the velocity of the ball slower, have them do underhand throws. As they increase in confidence, they can try overhand throws. SpudNumber four or more players. Designate a person to serve as thrower who will toss the ball up in the air and call out one of the numbers. The person whose number is called must try to catch or retrieve the ball while all the other players run away. The player who catches the ball shouts, “Spud!” The other players must all freeze in place. The player with the ball may take up to four steps attempting to hit another player by rolling or throwing the ball. A frozen player may not move their feet but can wiggle and twist to avoid the ball. If the ball is caught by the targeted player, the thrower receives one letter – S first, then P, U, D. If the thrower hits a player or the catch is missed, the targeted player gets a letter. Whoever gets the letter throws next. The game continues until someone spells “Spud” and is out of the game. The last player remaining wins this fast-paced game. Catch and Throw Relay Race This game, as the name implies, requires the players to bounce the ball to each other with a single bounce. Make sure they stand the right distance apart from each other for success. Add a target on the ground if you wish. Clapping and catching helps players increase their eye-hand coordination and provides a fun variation to simple catching. Put your players in a circle. If you have a large group, you can divide them into pairs. The ball is thrown from person to person with the goal of clapping the hands together before catching the ball. Points are given based on the number of successful claps. If the ball is dropped or a player does not manage to clap before catching the ball, a point is lost. The first player to reach twenty points is the winner. Bounce and Catch Spud is sort of a mash-up of dodgeball and tag. It’s a bit involved, but very fun. It requires a group of four or more players and is best played with a soft ball (something squishy, not an actual softball). Everyone is given a number. There’s a designated thrower who is tasked with tossing the ball up in the air and calling out one of the numbers.

Yep. This is the classic basketball game but reimagined for playing catch. Same rules apply. A group of players start throwing a ball around. If one player misses a catch, they get a letter. If the thrown ball is uncatchable, the thrower gets a letter. Spell horse and you’re out. The last player standing wins. 8. Underhand “Golf” Have the players stand farther apart. Remember the ball loses its bouncing height and momentum on each successive bounce. The goal is to bounce the ball as many times as possible. Double Ball Catch We have included games that involve both the skill of throwing and that of catching. There are several reasons for including throwing and catching games in your collection of ball activities: Each person has a ball, and the goal is to catch it in different ways. Our list moves from the easiest to the most difficult throwing method. Throwing games are not only fun, but also develop and improve a person’s life in the following ways:There’s a huge range of flying discs, boomerangs and throwing toys with a twist that can bring all new fun to games of catch – like the epic NERF Howler. You can even practise your serve with Swingball or tennis sets!