Grade by Grade
B. Active Living / C. Movement Competence · Moving and Playing Safely

Throwing, Catching and Kicking

C1About 35 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can send an object by throwing, rolling or kicking it towards a target.
  • I can receive an object by catching it or stopping it.
  • I can keep control of an object, like bouncing or dribbling a ball.
  • I can use the right size of object and the right amount of force.

Words to know

send
To move an object away from you: throw, roll, toss, kick or strike it.
receive
To get an object that comes to you: catch it, trap it or stop it.
underhand throw
A throw where your arm swings back and then forward low, below your shoulder, like bowling.
target
The place or thing you are aiming for, like a hoop, a bin or a partner's hands.
force
How hard or soft you push, throw or kick.
dribble
Moving a ball with small kicks of your feet, or bouncing it with your hand, while keeping it close.

Toss a pair of socks!

Roll up a pair of socks into a ball. Toss it up a little and catch it. Toss it up, clap once, and catch it!

You just sent the socks (tossed them) and received them (caught them). These are manipulation skills: moving and controlling objects with your hands or feet.

Beanbags, a yellow foam ball, a red playground ball, a soccer ball and an orange cone on schoolyard grass.
You can send and receive all of these. Which would you throw underhand? Which would you kick? AI-generated image
SkillExamples
Sending (moving it away)throwing, rolling, tossing, kicking
Receiving (getting it)catching, trapping with your foot, stopping, blocking
Keeping controlbouncing a ball, dribbling with your feet, carrying a beanbag
throw: swing,step, let gocatch:hands ready
An underhand toss to a partner who has their hands ready to catch.

The underhand throw

  1. Look at your target.
  2. Hold the ball in your throwing hand. Swing your arm back low, like a pendulum.
  3. Step forward with the opposite foot (if you throw with your right hand, step with your left foot).
  4. Swing your arm forward and let go when your hand points at the target.
  5. Follow through: your hand keeps going toward the target.
left foot1 Look atthe target2 Swing yourarm back low3 Step with theopposite foot4 Let go andfollow through
The underhand throw for someone who throws with the right hand: look, swing back, step with the left foot as you swing forward, then let go and follow through toward the target.

Catching

  1. Ready position: feet apart, knees a little bent, hands up in front.
  2. Watch the ball all the way into your hands. 👀
  3. Reach for the ball with your fingers spread.
  4. Give: pull the ball in toward your body to soften it. (Soft hands!)

Start with something big and soft, like a beach ball or a scarf. As you get better, try smaller balls.

Kicking and stopping

  • Kick: step beside the ball, look at it, and kick with the inside of your foot for a short, careful pass. Point your foot at the target.
  • Stop (trap): put the bottom or the inside of your foot on the ball gently as it comes to you.
Worked example

Let's aim at a target

Toss a beanbag (or rolled socks) into a laundry basket 2 big steps away. Then move back to 4 big steps. What changes?

  1. Close target: look at the basket, swing back, step with the opposite foot, gentle toss. A small amount of force is enough.
  2. Check: Did it land in? If it went too far, use less force. Too short? Use a bit more.
  3. Far target: you need more force: a bigger arm swing and a bigger step.
  4. Keep the same steps: look, swing, step, let go, follow through.

The farther away the target, the more force you need. The steps of the throw stay the same.

Worked example

Let's choose the right ball

Maya is just learning to catch. Which should she use first: a small hard ball, a big soft ball, or a heavy basketball?

  1. Think: what is easiest to see and hold? Something big.
  2. What won't hurt if it bumps her? Something soft.
  3. What moves slowly through the air? Something light, like a beach ball or a balloon.

A big soft ball (or a beach ball or balloon). When she can catch it easily, she can try smaller balls.

Practise both sides

Try throwing and kicking with your other hand and foot too. It will feel strange at first. That's how your body learns!

Just for fun

Why did the soccer ball quit the team?

It was tired of being kicked around! ⚽

Hands-on activity

Backyard or hallway target games

You need: rolled-up socks or a soft ball, a laundry basket or a bucket, a few plastic bottles or paper cups, a beach ball or balloon.

  1. Bowling: set up 3 to 6 cups or empty bottles. Roll the ball underhand to knock them down.
  2. Basket toss: toss socks into the basket. Each time you score, take one step back.
  3. Balloon keep-up: tap a balloon up with your hands. How many taps before it touches the floor? (A grown-up blows up the balloon. If it pops, a grown-up picks up every piece right away, because balloon pieces are a choking hazard.)
  4. Partner catch: toss a beach ball back and forth with a grown-up. Count your catches in a row.
  5. Soccer goal: use two shoes as goal posts. Kick the ball softly between them, then stop it with your foot when your partner passes it back.

Your turn

1

Name two ways to send an object.

2

Name two ways to receive an object.

3

When you throw with your right hand, which foot steps forward?

4

What should your eyes do when you catch?

5

Do it and check: Toss rolled socks into a basket 3 big steps away, 5 times.

6

Do it and check: Bounce a ball and catch it 5 times in a row.

7

The target is very close. Should you throw hard or soft?

More practice: warm-up

1

Is kicking a ball sending or receiving?

2

Is catching a ball sending or receiving?

3

Which is easier to catch: a beach ball or a tiny marble?

4

Where should your hands be when you are ready to catch?

5

Do it and check: Roll a ball to a grown-up, and stop it when they roll it back.

More practice: on your own

1

Why do we pull the ball in toward our body when we catch?

2

Your throw keeps landing past the target. What should you change?

3

Which part of your foot is best for a short, careful pass?

4

Do it and check: Dribble a ball with your feet from one end of a hallway (or yard) to the other.

5

Name one way to keep control of an object while you move.

Challenge

1

Do it and check: Toss a ball up, clap once, and catch it. Then try two claps.

2

Explain the steps of an underhand throw to a grown-up, in order.

3

Your friend can't catch a small ball yet. Give two ideas to help.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which is a receiving skill?

2.

You throw with your left hand. Which foot steps forward?

3.

What is the best ball for a beginner to catch?

4.

The target is far away. What do you need?

5.

When catching, you should...

6.

Which skill keeps control of the ball while you move?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 1 manipulation skills are sending (throwing, rolling, kicking), receiving (catching, trapping, stopping, blocking) and retaining (keeping control, like bouncing or dribbling) objects of different shapes, sizes and weights.

How to help at home:

  • Use soft, safe objects indoors: rolled socks, beanbags, balloons, beach balls.
  • Start close and build distance slowly.
  • Count "catches in a row" to build a sense of progress.

Common difficulties:

  • Closing eyes or turning away from a ball. Use a balloon or scarf; it falls slowly and won't hurt.
  • Stepping with the same foot as the throwing hand. Put a sticker on the opposite shoe as a reminder.
  • Trapping the ball against the chest instead of with the hands. This is normal at first; practise with smaller tosses into the hands.
  • Kicking with the toes. Practise passing with the inside of the foot for control.