Toss It Up, Fetch It a New Way

Each child tosses their beanbag up and forward and goes to fetch it moving a different way each time: hopping, crawling, tiptoeing or like an animal. It wakes up the whole body and practices different ways of moving.

How to play

1. Everyone holds a beanbag, spread out like airplanes with arms wide (1 min).
2. Toss the beanbag a little forward and walk to get it (1 min).
3. Toss it and jump with feet together to get it (1 min).
4. Toss it and crawl or bear-walk to get it (1 min).
5. Toss it farther and run on tiptoes to get it (2 min).
6. Toss gently and go in slow motion to start calming down (1 min).

Rules

• I toss forward, never at a friend.
• I only pick up my own beanbag.
• I wait for it to land before I go.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: they toss from the wheelchair and a partner fetches it, moving in the way the child chooses.
• Visual impairment: use a beanbag with a bell sewn inside and toss it very close.
• Less dexterity: they may drop the beanbag in front instead of tossing it.

Learning goals

• Warm up with a variety of locomotor movements.
• Control the force of a short toss.
• Move safely among classmates.

Equipment for a class of 25

• beanbags: 25

Teacher tip

Have everyone toss toward the same wall or line; if they toss in all directions, beanbags end up in faces. A clear "Go!" so everyone tosses at once helps a lot.

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