Milk Carton Catchers

An oldie but a goodie. Homemade catchers - of sorts - made by recycling milk cartons.

I used a soft sided 3 litre carton. Sharp edges should be covered with tape - this carton was surprisingly not sharp at all.

This can be used individually; throwing and catching any object that will fit comfortably in it. Begin with items that won't roll away to readily...ie. beanbags or soft toys  are ideal.

It can also be used by two people to throw and catch to each other. With older children, suggest rallies over a makeshift net, suggest boundaries and begin simple rules. Include a bounce before catching.

We are at the stage of scooping up balls and anything that will fit in the carton. Quite a lot of investigation has taken place with regard to what fits in the carton, the tipping angle before it falls out, the noise each item makes. Not much PE yet, but a lot of other learning taking place.

And of course there is also a great deal of laughter. As you can see, all this takes place before breakfast is over.

Hanging Ball

I have a soft ball hanging from the ceiling to encourage hand-eye-coordination for my Pre-Schooler. With varying degrees of success, she strikes it with her dominant hand and anticipates its return. She concentrates on the task of hitting the ball for several minutes and then returns to whatever she was doing.

With each session, she is experimenting with the position of her body in relation to the ball, she is improving on her ability to track the ball, and I have recently noticed that a 'back swing' is beginning to appear. The feedback from each session is used to improve upon her attempts. Occasionally, I provide some verbal cues to assist her but for this age and stage, the fun is in trying to hit the ball.

My Toddler son also enjoys using the Hanging Ball. Although, at 18 months of age, it is fun to just run into it.

I made my Hanging Ball by re-purposing a pair of stockings and pages of newspaper scrunched into a ball. The newspaper ball (tennis ball size) is placed inside the toe of the stocking and tied off with twine. Sometimes I put stickers on it or draw faces.

Having the Hanging Ball ready to go allows for frequent short periods of practice.