The Color Decides: Toss and Do

Four colored hoops each have a picture card beside them: red means jump, blue means crawl, green means spin and yellow means dance. Each child tosses a beanbag and, depending on which hoop it lands in, does that action on the way to fetch it.

How to play

1. Introduce the hoops and practice each color's action together (3 min).
2. Toss the beanbag into any hoop and do its action all the way there (3 min).
3. If it lands outside, pick your favorite action (2 min).
4. Now decide first which hoop you're aiming for and say it out loud (3 min).
5. The teacher moves the cards around and we play again (3 min).
6. Finish with everyone tossing toward the green hoop and spinning very slowly (1 min).

Rules

• I toss from the line and wait until the path is clear.
• I do the action of the color where it lands.
• I fetch my beanbag and come back around the side.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: actions are adapted for a wheelchair (spin the chair, clap, wave arms, roll forward).
• Hearing loss: the picture cards are enough; the teacher also models the action.
• Autism: give them their own copy of the four cards to hold and check.

Learning goals

• Toss toward a chosen target.
• Connect a color with an action.
• Decide on and announce a goal before acting.

Equipment for a class of 25

• beanbags: 25
• hoops: 4
• action picture cards: 4

Teacher tip

Make the cards with one big simple drawing; three words of explanation and 3-year-olds are lost. Set up two or three tossing lines so lines stay short.

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