Feed the Hungry Monster
Cardboard boxes with monster faces and cut-out mouths are very hungry. Kids feed them by tossing soft balls and beanbags into the mouths. Children practice aiming throws and expressing feelings through pretend play.
How to play
- Stand 4 or 5 monster boxes apart, with balls and beanbags scattered around them. Introduce the monster in a deep voice: "I'm sooo hungry!" (1 min).
- Everyone at once picks up food from the floor and tosses it into any monster's mouth, from the cone line or a spot two steps away (3 min).
- When the boxes are full, the teacher dumps them out the back: "Yuck, he didn't like it!" and the food is back on the floor (1 min).
- Flavor round: beanbags are cookies tossed underhand; balls are apples thrown with two hands over the head (3 min).
- On a tambourine tap, the monster falls asleep: kids toss quietly and very gently (2 min).
- Finish: everyone gathers the leftover food and feeds it to the monster, who says thank you (2 min).
Rules
- Toss from your spot; don't put the food in by hand.
- Throw only at the monster's mouth, never at friends.
- Walk to pick up food and look before you bend down.
- When the monster sleeps, toss quietly.
Variations
Easier
For 3-year-olds, use a very big mouth and toss from very close or drop it in from above.
Standard
For 4-year-olds, toss from two steps, switching between underhand and overhead.
Harder
For 5-year-olds, toss from farther away into a smaller mouth, using the hand the teacher names.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: lay a monster box on a chair at the child's level and give them a basket of food on their lap.
- Hearing loss: also signal "monster asleep" by flicking the lights off and on.
- Skill levels: confident kids aim at the baby monster's small mouth; kids who need support use the big daddy monster's mouth.
Learning goals
- Toss with one and two hands into an opening.
- Tell the difference between an underhand and an overhead throw.
- Enjoy pretend play while expressing feelings.
Equipment for a class of 25
- cardboard boxes: 5
- soft balls: 20
- bean bags: 20
Teacher tip
Draw the monsters with big eyes and silly faces, not scary ones. Giving the monster a voice holds attention far better than any explanation.
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