- Check the space and the kit.
- Get your child's attention first.
- Show it from two sides.
- Say one thing only.
- End on one that works.
Put the phone down where you can see it. Tap Next with your thumb, or use the arrow keys.
Is the space marked?
- The throwing line
- A wall or fence target (a hoop or a chalk box)
- The home spot
- First base (a cone or flat shoe)
A soft ball (tennis ball), a glove if available, 3 m between partners. No ball? Roll a sock into a ball and wrap it in a little tape.
Three minutes to get warm.
Easy jogging on the spot, then arms and legs. How to warm up well is explained at workonfitness.com.
- Hands out in front, fingers relaxed, ready.
- Watch the ball all the way into your hands.
- Meet it, cup the hands round it and pull it in softly to your waist.
- With a glove: catch in the glove, then cover the ball with your throwing hand.
Show it once from the front and once from the side, slowly. Then let your child try.
- Alone first: toss to yourself and catch, 10 times.
- 10 gentle tosses from you to the chest.
- 10 higher tosses.
- Each catch: meet, cup, pull in to the waist.
How much: 30 catches a round, 4 rounds
Soft hands, give a little
Catch streak
The rules
Count the catches in a row with a partner and beat your best.
- Say "ready" before each toss and wait for the catcher to look
- Toss underarm to each other
- Count each clean two-hand catch aloud
- A drop ends the streak; start again from 0. Play for 3 minutes
Fair play: The grown-up tosses gently to the chest; the child may toss anywhere the grown-up can reach.
- Points
- Your score is your longest streak of catches in a row.
- Fouls
- The streak ends: a drop; a one-handed catch (without a glove); a toss out of reach
- Win
- Beat your best streak.
- 5
- 10
- 20
7 of 10 tosses caught with two hands.
End on one that works. If it was hard today, finish with the easier version.
Well played.
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