Many parents take for granted their child's ability to play catch. It should be easy: you catch and you throw. But many children spend hours indoors using modern technology and don't spend time playing catch with their friends. Throwing and catching teaches children motor function and hand-eye coordination, skills essential for sport participation and comfort while exercising. Start with your toddler, teaching him to roll a ball back and forth, gradually working up to underhand tosses and catching. Remember to exercise patience. Many children don't develop the strength, coordination or skills for catching and throwing until they're older.
Determine Your Child's Ability
Step 1
Go outside with your child and take several different types of balls: large playground balls, lightweight foam balls and a baseball or softball.
Step 2
Stand five to 10 feet away from your child.
Step 3
Toss the lightweight foam ball to her using an underhand throw, asking her to catch the ball. If her catching movement appears coordinated and successful, graduate to the playground ball.
Step 4
Try all the balls until he either struggles with a particular ball or he successfully catches the baseball. If catching an underhand toss of the baseball seems easy, try throwing the ball overhand to your son or daughter.
Step 5
Ask her to throw each ball back to you so that you can determine whether she appears coordinated and on target.
Playing Catch
Step 1
Throw and catch the predetermined ball back and forth with your child.
Step 2
Step backward every five tosses to work on throwing and catching distance.
Step 3
Teach your child to step into his throw, especially as you move farther away from him.
Step 4
Throw and catch using an underhand toss until your child feels ready to graduate to an overhand throw.
Step 5
Play catch until your child tires of the game or after 20 minutes. You don't want to overdo the game, especially when you're just starting off.
Tips and Warnings
- Encourage your child to move toward the ball when you throw it to him rather than moving away from the ball. Tell him to reach his hands out in order to receive the ball.
- Getting hit with a ball can hurt. When you start throwing a softball or baseball, teach your child to hold his glove slightly to the side of his body to receive the pass. This way, if he misses the ball, it won't hit him in the face.
Things You'll Need
- Lightweight foam ball
- Large playground ball
- Softball or baseball
- 2 Baseball gloves
