La Rana: Frog Mouth Toss Game

A school version of the classic rana tavern game: students toss beanbags at a tilted box with holes worth different points and a frog mouth in the middle. It builds accuracy, force control, and knowledge of traditional games.

How to play

1. Tilt 6 cardboard boxes against the wall, each with a frog mouth in the center (5 points) and four holes around it (1 to 4 points). Make 6 groups of 4-5, one per box (2 min).
2. Mark a chalk throwing line at 8 feet (10 feet for ages 10 and up). All tosses are underhand with the opposite foot forward.
3. Taking turns, one student tosses 3 beanbags in a row, one keeps score in chalk, and one retrieves; then roles rotate.
4. Play a 6-min round adding up group points. On the signal, groups rotate to the next box, which has a different tilt, and play 2 more 5-min rounds.
5. Final challenge (2 min): the group must score exactly 15 points; going over drops them back to 10.

Rules

• Toss from behind the line, always underhand.
• Nobody retrieves until the thrower has released the last beanbag.
• A beanbag that bounces on the floor before going in does not score.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair users: toss from 5 feet with the box raised on a chair.
• Visual impairment: outline the mouth with high-contrast tape and tap on it before each toss.
• Skill level: students choose between two lines; points double from the far line.

Learning goals

• Adjust underhand tossing force to hit a small target.
• Learn and play a traditional target game.
• Take responsibility for the scorekeeper and retriever roles.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cardboard boxes: 6
• beanbags: 18
• chalk: 6

Teacher tip

Reinforce the hole edges with tape so the boxes last. Cue students to keep their eyes on the hole until they let go.

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