How to Teach a Toddler to Play Catch
A simple game of catch requires a variety of skills; for your toddler to catch a ball and get it back to you, she must work on her hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills and an understanding of reciprocal play. These skills take time to develop. Working with your young shortstop shows her the processes involved in the game and helps her progress through skill development to play efficiently. Keep it fun, and before you know it, she'll be your little league star.
Things You'll Need
- Large, soft foam ball
- Mylar balloon
- Medium, soft foam ball
- Small, soft foam ball
- Laundry basket
- Toy bin and toys
- Basketball and child-sized net
Instructions
Teach your child about back-and-forth, or reciprocal, play by rolling a large, soft foam ball back and forth between the two of you. She'll also learn to follow the ball with her eyes and anticipate the catch by putting out her hands. Start off sitting a few feet apart and gradually have your toddler move onto her knees and an extra foot or two away. Inflate a mylar balloon and use it to help your child develop his hand-eye coordination. The balloon is safe for play because it is lightweight and soft, so it won't hurt your child. It also moves more slowly than a typical ball, making it easier for your youngster to follow its movements. Have your child stand a few feet away from you and toss the balloon up in the air, in his direction. Encourage him to reach out and bat it up in the air with his hands. As it comes back down, have him knock it up again. Have fun seeing how long he can keep it up in the air. Move onto a large, soft foam ball. Stand a few feet apart and toss it back and forth gently. At first, she will ̶0;hug̶1; the ball to her chest as she catches it. Later, encourage her to catch it between her hands without bringing the ball to her chest. When it̵7;s her turn to throw, show your toddler how to use an underhand throw with both hands and let her practice this two-handed throw. Switch to a medium-size and then a smaller, soft foam ball about the size of a baseball as he nears his third birthday. Play in the same manner you played together with the larger ball. Teach your toddler how to throw with one hand as she reaches 3 years of age. Have her throw the ball to you. At first, it likely won̵7;t go very far. She might have a difficult time mustering up the one-armed strength to throw the ball, and her ̶0;stance̶1; will take some time to perfect. Model proper throwing so your child can eventually follow your example. Continue to practice often, first throwing the ball to your toddler, encouraging him to catch it with both hands -- which is still developmentally appropriate for age 3 -- and return the throw with one hand. Play target practice to help your toddler get the ball where he wants it to go. Let him help you throw clothing into a laundry basket, toss toys into the toy bin or a basketball into a child-sized basketball net.
