10 beanbag throwing games
Children throwing toys is probably one of the biggest annoyances for parents. It's not without reason that I wrote about throwing toys and setting loving boundaries in my blog. My most-read blog. But throwing is simply a skill a child needs to learn. Just like crawling, climbing, walking, and running. But throwing skills can also be learned and improved through games. In this blog post, I share 10 beanbag throwing games.
Why throw beanbags instead of a ball?
Beanbags are fabric squares filled with natural materials. When you throw them, they don't roll or bounce. I find them safer for our home decor than a ball.
Throwing games with beanbags
These throwing games take just a minute to set up. You can use a throwing game if your child struggles to play, if they're struggling with emotions and just want to vent. Or if your child feels the urge to throw toys.
1. Knock down towers.
Build a tower with plastic or cardboard cups and knock them over.
2. From a distance, throw the bean bags in circles.
We're making circles with our Grimm's rainbow, but it could also be a hoop, basket, or stacking stone. Place a piece of washi tape or masking tape on the floor to prop your feet up, and start throwing!
Tip: The rainbow beanbags also match fantastically with Grimm's
3. Sort by color with Stapelstein bean bags
Place a few Stapelstein or other stacking stones in different colors around the room. Give your child the Stapelstein beanbags in matching colors and have them toss the beanbags into the correct stacking stone. This combines throwing, color recognition, and accurate aiming all in one game. For added fun: let your child decide how far away they should be and whether you can pass!
4. Throw as far as possible.
We do this in our hallway, which is long and narrow, and there's very little hanging on the walls. See who can throw the furthest from the doorstep. Also grab a measuring tape to measure how far the beanbags have traveled together.
5. Throwing from a height.
Have your child climb onto something like a bench, table, stepladder, or balance board (you decide what's okay and what's not). From a height, they have to aim at a target. This can be anything (a basket, a hula hoop, a Stapelstein). When the beanbags run out, they have to climb back down and collect them. A fun activity to burn off some energy and improve their climbing and throwing skills.
6. Balance throw. Stand on a balance board with a beanbag in your hand. Rock from side to side while trying to throw the beanbag into a basket.
7. Throwing with a basket or stacking stones.
Each player grabs a basket or Stapelstein. One of you puts a beanbag in their basket. The trick now is to "flip" it to the other person. The other person catches the beanbag with their basket.
8. Bowling!
Collect some empty bottles and arrange them like bowling pins. Push the beanbags as hard as you can toward the bottles to knock them over.
9. Complete a course to a target.
Build a course using things like stepping stones, a slide, climbing something, spinning around, etc. Make it as fun and challenging as possible. Complete the entire course with a beanbag in your hand. At the end is a target where you throw the beanbag. Then, at the beginning of the course, pick up a new beanbag and start again.
10. Throwing at a moving target
As throwing skills improve, make the games more challenging. For example, you can creatively create a moving target. Tie a string or playing silk to a hoop and slowly move it backward. Or place a basket on the robot vacuum cleaner ;-)
Throwing games are not only fun, but they also help vent frustration, burn off energy, and practice motor skills. Adapt each game to your child's level. From the moment they can stand firmly, you can start aiming, throwing, and laughing.
Looking for beautiful, sustainable beanbags to play these games with? In my webshop, you'll find rainbow beanbags and natural beanbags in soft earth tones. Perfect for throwing, sorting, or balancing. Truly made for endless fun!
