Tossing Games for Preschoolers

Beanbags

• Use beanbags to create tossing games for preschoolers. Draw a picture of a clown or animal on a large poster board and tape it to the bottom of a cardboard box. Cut the mouth of the clown or animal out and lean the box against a wall. Have the preschoolers stand 5 feet away from the box and try to toss the beanbags into the poster board creature's mouth. The preschooler who successfully tosses the most beanbags through the cut-out's mouth out of five tries wins the game. Alternatively, cut three holes instead of one and write a different point value on each hole. The preschooler who scores the most points wins the game.

Rings

• Preschoolers can use rings to toss onto objects. Plastic rings are available in all different sizes at most craft stores. You can also make your own rings for the children using duct tape and rope. Fill two-liter soda bottles half full with water and scatter them on the ground. Mark a line 5 feet from the bottles and have the preschoolers try to toss the rings onto the necks of the bottles. To make the game easy, use bigger rings. Make it harder by using smaller rings. Another idea is to scatter candy on a sheet. Have the children try to toss the rings on the candy. Any candy they ring is theirs to keep.

Messy

• Play messy tossing games outdoors and be sure the children wear old clothing. Have each preschooler select a partner. Tell them they must work together and communicate in order to win the game. Give one preschooler on each team a raw egg, use a hard broiled egg for less of a mess. Partners must stand 2 feet from one another and toss the egg to each other. After they do this a few times, have them all take one step back and continue to toss the egg. If they drop the egg, they are out of the game. The team who can toss the egg from the farthest distance without dropping it wins the game. Alternatively, use water balloons instead of eggs.

Balls

• Divide the preschoolers into two teams and give each team a soft foam ball. Have the preschoolers toss the balls back and forth to each other within their team circle. They must pass the ball as soon as they catch it. If the ball hits the ground, that team loses. Alternatively, use balloons instead of balls. The team who keeps a balloon in the air the longest wins the game. Make the game more difficult by adding a balloon to each team circle every 30 seconds.