Bounce and Catch
Parent bounces a ball once on the floor in front of the child; child catches it with hands rather than trapping it against their body. Observes hand positioning, timing, and whether the catch is bilateral (two hands) or unilateral. Escalates from stationary bounce to a slight arc.
Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.
What you'll need
Stand 1 metre apart on flat floor. Bounce ball with moderate force so it rises to about child's chest height after one bounce. Do not throw — bounce only.
How it works
- 1~20s
Say: 'I'm going to bounce the ball to you — try to catch it!' Bounce it at the same spot, medium speed, rising to chest height. Watch: does your child catch it with hands, or trap it against the body? Does they track the ball before it bounces or only reacts after? Tell me.
Watch for: Child catches bounced ball with hands (not body trap)
- 2~60s
Do 4-5 more bounces, keeping them consistent. Count how many your child catches with hands vs. body traps vs. misses. Consistency matters — can your child repeat the catch, or was the first one luck? Tell me the breakdown.
Watch for: Consistency of hand-catch across repeated trials
- 3~30s
Now vary slightly — bounce the ball a little to your child's left or right instead of dead-centre. Can they step to get in line with it? This tests whether your child can anticipate the trajectory, not just react to a predictable path.
Watch for: Child moves to intercept off-centre bounced ball