How to Teach a Youngster to Catch a Ball

Being an active adult can be as simple as learning to catch a ball as a child, according to the book, ̶0;Boosting Your Child̵7;s Fitness̶1; by Ceri Roberts. Encourage physical activity by becoming involved as a parent. This shows your child that maintaining a strong heart and body can be fun, and can last well into adulthood. Ball-throwing is a basic activity that translates to many other sports and games such as baseball, basketball, football, tennis, hockey or a Sunday afternoon of catch.

Things You'll Need

  • Lightweight, medium-sized ball
  • Smaller ball to fit into your child's cupped hands

Instructions

  1. Bounce With a Hug

    • 1

      Stand your child on a flat hard surface that his ball will easily bounce on. Using the medium-sized ball instruct your youngster to bounce the ball at his feet once and then catch it with both hands and arms -- like a big hug. Once he's mastered this step, move on to the next.

    • 2

      Instruct your child to bounce her ball once at her feet, but this time catch it with only two hands -- no arms. Show her how to pull the ball close to her body, once she has it caught in her hands. Repeat this until she is comfortable with the skill.

    • 3

      Place your child about 5 or 6 feet away from you. Tell him you are going to bounce the ball once, in between the two of you, and he is to catch it with a hug, like in step one. Gently bounce the ball to your youngster to catch. This may take some time and patience. Once he's got this down pat, let him try to catch it with two hands and no arms. Have him bounce it back to you.

    The Big League

    • 4

      Using the smaller ball that fits comfortably into your child's two hands, have your child stand about 4 feet away from you. Have her cup her hands in front of her and hold them there. Throw the ball gently into her open hands. Encourage her to toss the ball back to you.

    • 5

      Move your child about 10 feet away. Still using the smaller ball, have your youngster stand with cupped hands. This time tell him you are going to bounce the ball to him. Tell him that he may have to move a little bit to get in front of the ball. This step may take practice and more than one session. Once your child has mastered this step, move on to the next.

    • 6

      Stand about 10 feet away from your child. Lob the smaller ball into the air and instruct your child to try to get under it and slightly behind it to catch the ball in his open hands. Have him throw it back to you. This can take some time, but your youngster is now on his way to the major leagues.

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