Over the Curtain Lob Toss

A lob-toss game: students toss beanbags over a fabric curtain so they land in hoops the thrower cannot see, using feedback from a teammate. It builds high-arc control, spatial awareness, and communication.

How to play

1. Tie a long rope 6 feet high between two posts or goals and drape fabric over it to make a solid curtain. Behind it, at 4 stations, place 3 hoops at 3, 6, and 10 feet (1, 2, and 3 points) (3 min).
2. Make 6 groups of 4: two throwers, a spotter seated to the side of the hoops, and a retriever. Each thrower has 5 beanbags and tosses from a cone 10 feet from the curtain.
3. Toss underhand with a high arc. After each beanbag, the spotter calls where it landed: short, long, left, right, or in and which hoop.
4. When both throwers are done, the retriever returns the beanbags and roles rotate. Rounds last 4 min (12 min).
5. Final round (5 min): the spotter may only use claps the group agrees on, such as one for short and two for long.

Rules

• Only the spotter is behind the curtain, seated outside the landing area.
• The retriever goes in only when both throwers are finished.
• The beanbag must clear the rope; one that goes through the fabric does not score.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair users: toss from the chair with a lower rope at their station.
• Shy students: start as retriever and move to spotter when comfortable.
• Skill level: anyone who lands the 3-point hoop twice in a row tosses from 13 feet.

Learning goals

• Toss with a high arc while controlling landing distance.
• Adjust a toss using a teammate's feedback.
• Communicate results clearly and briefly.

Equipment for a class of 25

• long rope: 1
• fabric pieces: 6
• hoops: 12
• beanbags: 30
• cones: 6

Teacher tip

Make sure the rope is tight and well above throwers' faces. Many students toss flat at first; ask them to send the beanbag up like a rainbow.

More main activities for Elementary