Exercise

Catching Games for Kindergarten: Soft-Ball Beginner Stations

By Dave Joisil (Mr. J) · Certified Health and Physical Education teacher

Updated

Set up kindergarten catching with soft, age-appropriate equipment, predictable partner sends, beginner stations, and an original change-the-task record.

Beginner catching games work best when the incoming object is predictable and the child has time to prepare. Start with an adult-supervised roll or a gentle close underarm send using soft, age-appropriate equipment. Increase difficulty by changing one thing at a time, not by throwing harder.

These are suggested stations, not claimed teacher-tested activities. There is no matching catching video in this library, and an unrelated exercise clip is not needed to teach this lesson.

Choose equipment and set boundaries

Use soft balls appropriate to the children's size, abilities, and program safety rules. Inspect them for damage and avoid small parts, hard balls, latex balloons, or improvised objects that create choking or allergy risks. Clear the floor, leave room between pairs, and keep sends below the face.

Give each pair a lane and a parking spot for its ball. Teach “ready?” before sending and “stop” when a ball rolls into another lane. Children walk to retrieve after the adult's signal; nobody chases through a throwing area. An adult remains responsible for supervision.

Model receive and soften

Show hands open and relaxed in front of the body, watching the incoming object in a comfortable way. Meet a gentle send and let the elbows bend as the ball arrives. Begin close enough that the learner does not need to lunge.

A beginner may secure a ball against the body while learning. Acknowledge the catch and gradually explore receiving with the hands if suitable; do not label early success as wrong. Move the sender closer or use a more predictable send before giving several body-position instructions.

Three beginner stations

1. Roll into the gate

Partners sit or stand comfortably facing each other. One gently rolls a ball toward the other's open hands. This practices tracking and receiving at floor level; it is a preparation task, not an airborne catch. Use a reachable tabletop or agreed surface if the floor is inaccessible.

2. Ready, send, catch

An adult or partner asks “ready?” and waits for an agreed response before a gentle underarm send. The receiver may speak, sign, nod, or use AAC. Reset after each attempt. Keep the ball's path away from faces and avoid surprise throws.

3. One bounce, then receive

With a suitable soft bouncing ball, the sender makes a slow bounce toward a ready receiver. If the bounce is unpredictable on your floor, return to a roll or direct gentle send. A station is optional, not a ladder every learner must complete.

Copy-and-print: Change one thing catching record

  • Pair or learner code: ______ Equipment checked: ______.
  • Chosen task: roll / gentle send / one bounce / agreed alternative.
  • Ready signal: ______ Retrieval rule: ______.
  • What happened: tracked path / reached in time / secured object / needed help.
  • Change ONE: distance / object size or texture / send height / pace.
  • Learner feedback: ______ Keep or change next time: ______.

Access and troubleshooting

Offer a larger easy-to-see ball, a shorter distance, contrasting background, an auditory cue, or a reachable receiving surface as individually appropriate. Ask the learner and follow existing plans. A child who is wary of the ball may begin with rolling, watching, or directing sends; never throw unexpectedly to force a response.

If catches repeatedly fail, change the send before blaming the receiver. If partners throw too hard, reset with an adult model and reduce distance. Stop the station if space or supervision is insufficient.

Plan and source

Use the preschool gross motor planner to select an object-control objective, and indoor recess choices for a separate child-led play block.

Receiving and cushioning cues are informed by PDST fundamental movement skill cue posters. The station layouts and record are original planning tools, not a clinical assessment or validated catching program.