THROWING AND CATCHING BALL

DEVELOPMENT STRENGTH: PRIMARY

LEVEL
WHAT IS THROWING AND CATCHING?

 Propel (something) with force through the air by a movement of the arm and
hand.
 Mean to get possession or control of by or as if by seizing. Catch is used for the
act of trying to seize something or someone that is moving or hiding. 

 Note: Catching & Throwing is a Gross Motor Skills.

LEARN TO THROW AND CATCH

 Toddlers learn to throw and catch gradually and in stages, as their gross motor
skills and hand-eye coordination continue to grow, and as their reflexes continue
to develop
("Ooh, the ball's coming toward me...hey wait, maybe I should try to catch it!").
 But long before she's able to field a pass or throw a perfect spiral, your toddler
makes a rewarding playmate.
HOW TO HELP YOUR BABY DISCOVER IT?

Even though throwing and catching are skills that develop in toddlerhood, babies
under 2 — and as young as 7 months—enjoy rolling a ball to and fro on the floor,
which helps build finger strength, encourages visual tracking and supports hand-
eye coordination, while introducing the key concept of "back and forth" (as
opposed to "this is mine now!").
HOW TO PRACTICE THE TODDLER’S LEVEL?

 Sitting or on your knees, and toss the ball gently to her from a short distance
away.
 If your ball is one that bounces, try bouncing the ball to her, which gives her a bit
more time to react.
 Vary your practice by throwing different sized balls — some smaller, some larger
— from varying distances — now close, now farther away.
WHAT NOT TO WORRY ABOUT:

 At this age, it makes more sense to let your little one call the game than to force
her to practice. Because your toddler's mind and muscles are still developing —
very much on her own unique timeline —
 It won't necessarily help her learn to catch or throw any faster if she's forced to
play ball for longer than she wants to.