Gross motor development, Fine motor development
A toddler practices beginning skills in catching a colorful scarf.
Be Prepared: Catching an object supports eye-hand coordination. By approximately 24–30 months, most toddlers have developed body coordination that enables them to catch an object or begin learning to catch. This activity is designed for a toddler who appears ready to learn and practice how to catch a soft, slow-moving item.
[Invite a toddler to join you to play catch. Sit or kneel on the floor facing the toddler, with about 2–3 feet between you and the toddler. The toddler may wish to stand. Show the scarf.]
Here is a scarf for us to catch. I am going to practice catching the scarf by tossing it into the air.
I will watch the scarf after I toss it. I will open both of my hands, put my hands together, and put my hands in front of my body. I will try to catch the scarf with both of my hands.
[Demonstrate catching the scarf by describing each of the following actions after you toss the scarf in the air:
Emphasize and show again how you put (extended) your arms in front of you. Also, emphasize how you may need to move your open hands so they are under the scarf when it falls.]
Now I will toss the scarf to you so you can practice catching our scarf. Are you ready?
[Pause and look at the toddler for a sign that he/she is ready. The “ready” sign may be a smile.
Guide the toddler’s actions by describing the steps you demonstrated earlier:
Toss the scarf after the toddler puts his/her hands in the catching position (first step).
Enthusiastically acknowledge the toddler’s efforts.
Offer 2–3 more practice opportunities. Adapt your action with the scarf in response to the toddler’s efforts. Examples: For Extra Support, drop (rather than toss) the scarf into the toddler’s hands. For Enrichment, move back about 12 inches before tossing.
Enthusiastically describe any effort the toddler makes to move his/her open hands to catch a scarf that shifts slightly in direction after it is tossed.
Continue as time and toddler interest permit.]
We practiced catching a scarf with both of our hands and our eyes. How did we use our hands to try catching the scarf? (opened our hands, put our hands together and in front of our body) How did we use our eyes? (to watch the scarf )
A major advantage of using a scarf to learn and practice catching is that a scarf moves slowly, giving a toddler time to anticipate and plan. Motor planning is supported when a tossed scarf shifts direction, requiring the toddler to move the position of his/her open hands. Positively point out any adjustments a toddler makes with his/her hands in response to a scarf that moves in a different direction. Another advantage of a scarf is its softness. An uncomfortable bump on the nose can be discouraging for any child learning to catch.
If a toddler reaches for a scarf you toss, positively acknowledge his/her efforts to get the scarf and offer a reminder that we are practicing how to catch by holding open our hands.
If a toddler tosses a scarf after catching it, positively acknowledge the interest in helping the scarf move in the air. Avoid letting the activity drift into a toss-and-catch routine. Option 2 supports practice in tossing and catching. Some toddlers have experience and confidence in both throwing and catching, but generally toddlers of this age benefit from repeated and varied experiences in catching. This is the reason for Option 1’s focus on catching.
If this activity option is too challenging for a toddler, promptly transition to an activity of rolling a soft ball for the toddler to catch. Catching a rolling ball is a valuable way to practice eye-hand coordination. Consider adapting the Physical/Health activity in Block 2, Option 1 for younger toddlers (12–24 months).
Extra support
Enrichment
Gross motor development, Fine motor development
Toddlers practice tossing and catching a colorful scarf.
Be Prepared: This activity is for toddlers who have experience catching a scarf through participation in Option 1 or a similar activity. Offer the activity in an open space that supports freedom of movement but not running.
Invite 3–4 toddlers to join you for tossing and catching colorful scarves. Begin the activity by inviting toddlers to pretend they are tossing a scarf. Demonstrate by using one hand to toss an imaginary scarf up into the air. Emphasize we toss a scarf up into the air above us, not away from us. Encourage toddlers to try the actions you demonstrate with a pretend scarf.
Then use a scarf to demonstrate tossing up and catching the scarf in this order:
Give each toddler a colorful scarf to toss and catch. As needed, assist toddlers in finding a space to toss and catch safely. Repeat prompts for steps in tossing and catching the scarf as appropriate.
Support repeated practice in tossing and catching. Offer reminders of steps that seem challenging. If the activity is overly exciting, request toddlers take a pause by holding their scarf open with both hands and taking some slow, deep breaths. (See the Self-Regulation activities focused on slow, deep breathing in Blocks 2 and 5.)
One of the challenges of tossing and then catching a scarf is simultaneously watching the tossed scarf while putting hands into position for catching it. Some toddlers may use one hand, rather than the suggested two open hands, to catch a scarf. Also, some toddlers may use two hands to toss their scarf. The activity may seem simple but it involves a lot of motor coordination partly connected to watching the scarf.
Look for signs of fatigue or overstimulation and offer calming-down supports to conclude the activity. See the Self-Regulation activity plan in the current block.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: baby shampoo for no-tears bubbles, water smocks, ping-pong balls, sensory table, movement scarves
Provide bubbles in a sensory tub with warm water and encourage toddlers to pop the bubbles. On another day, float ping-pong balls in the sensory tub to provide experiences in figuring out how to pick up a small ball (known as motor planning). Encourage toddlers to drop a ping-pong ball into the water and watch what happens to the water. Provide the scarves in an open area of the room for toddlers to continue practice tossing (Option 1) or tossing and catching (Option 2).
Materials needed: movement scarves
In addition to offering Options 1 and 2 to toddlers, invite preschool-age and older children to toss a scarf with one hand and catch the scarf with the opposite hand. Increase challenge by giving children two scarves. For infants, hold the scarf close enough to see and grasp. Describe an infant’s looking and grasping.
© 2024 The Trustees of Purdue University | All Rights Reserved