Ball Hand To Hand
What you need
- a soft ball about the size of an orange
- a big bowl
How to do it
- Sit right beside them, a hand ready in case they topple reaching for the bowl, and set the bowl on the floor at one side.
- Hold the ball out on the side away from the bowl, so they take it in that hand.
- Pat the bowl and say "In it goes!", and see what they do.
- Tip it out and play again, then move the bowl to their other side.
Why it matters
A ball that arrives on one side and needs to go in a bowl on the other is a simple reason to pass it from hand to hand.
What they're learning
- Hand to hand
- Moving the ball across from one hand to the other gets both sides working together.
- Letting go
- Dropping it into the bowl on purpose takes a hand that opens when they want it to.
- Grip
- A soft ball is easy to squeeze and hard to drop by accident.
What to look for
Watch for the ball changing hands in front of their tummy on its way to the bowl.
A tip
Use a soft, light ball too big to fit through a toilet roll tube, so it can't go in their mouth, and stay with them while they play. Put the ball away afterwards.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: put the bowl right in front of them and enjoy the dropping in
Harder: use two balls and two bowls, one on each side, and hand both balls over on the same side
More like this
Browse
Fine motor activities · Activities for 1 year olds · Toddler activities with a bowl · Toddler activities with a ball