Skill· 3y–4y· 3 min

Here Comes the Ball III

Parent and child practice throwing and catching a ball back and forth, with a focus on overhand throwing technique and catching a bounced ball. The agent coaches the parent to observe throwing mechanics, catching coordination, and backward jumping movements — building fundamental ball skills and gross motor coordination.

Start voice activity

Opens a guided voice session in TogetherTime.

What you'll need

Open space indoors or outdoors. Parent and child standing facing each other about 6-8 feet apart. Soft, lightweight ball that child can grip easily. Enough room for child to move backward safely.

How it works

  1. 1~45s

    Start by letting your child choose a ball. Show them a couple of options if you have them. Ask them to tell you what they likes about the ball they picked — maybe it's the color, size, or how it feels. This gets them invested in the game. Then stand facing each other and ask your child to throw the ball to you first. Watch how they throws — does they use an overhand motion with their arm coming forward? Tell me what you notice about their throwing technique.

    Watch for: Child uses an overhand throwing motion with forward arm movement, stepping forward with opposite foot.

  2. 2~50s

    Now let's practice catching. Gently bounce the ball to your child so it comes up to about their waist level. Watch how they prepares to catch — does they get their hands ready? Does they track the ball with their eyes and try to catch it with both hands? We're looking for that moment of coordination where their hands meet the ball. What do you see?

    Watch for: Child catches a ball that has been bounced to them, using both hands and showing eye-hand coordination.

  3. 3~40s

    Let's add some movement! After your child catches the ball, ask them to take two jumps backward before throwing it back to you. Watch carefully — does they jump with both feet together? Does they maintain balance when landing? Backward jumping is challenging because they can't see where they's going. Notice how your child manages this coordination. What do you observe?

    Watch for: Child jumps backward with both feet together, maintaining balance and control.

What this develops

Visual example

Coming soon