Clap Then Catch

A two-handed catching game with a large soft ball, where both hands must arrive at the ball at the same moment — with a clap squeezed in first.

  1. Stand facing the child about 1.5–2 meters apart with a large, soft ball (beach ball, foam ball, or a rolled-up pair of thick socks for beginners).
  2. Show “ready hands”: both hands out in front, palms facing each other, a ball-width apart.
  3. Toss gently underarm to chest height. The child catches with both hands together and tosses back with both hands.
  4. After five good catches, add the challenge: the child must clap once while the ball is in the air, then catch.
  5. Next, bounce the ball once on the floor between you. The child catches it on the way up with two hands.
  6. Let the child toss the ball straight up for themselves — toss, clap, catch.

Variation: catch with a “basket” instead of hands — both hands hold a laundry basket, bucket, or towel stretched between two fists and move it together under the falling ball.

Requirements

  • Space: About 3 × 2 meters of clear space, indoors or out
  • Surface: Any flat surface; clear away breakables indoors
  • Materials: A large light ball (20–25 cm), beach ball, balloon, or rolled socks
  • Participants: 1 adult + 1 child; or 2 children
  • Supervision: Light — adult is the throwing partner

Rationale & Objective

“Catches a ball with both hands together” is an example skill for this subdomain. A two-handed catch is a symmetrical bilateral task: both arms must move at the same time and close on the ball together, and a child whose hands arrive one after the other will fumble. In Gallahue’s description of catching development, young children first trap the ball against the chest and only later catch with the hands alone — the mature pattern that the TGMD-2 scores as “ball is caught by hands only.” The CDC milestone checklist expects a child to catch a large ball most of the time by age 4, so at 5 the aim is quality: hands only, arms giving on contact. Adding a clap forces both hands to leave and return to the ready position together, which sharpens timing and symmetry. This exercise deliberately uses a big, slow ball; small-ball throwing and catching accuracy belong to the Object Control subdomain.

Progress Indicators

  • Early: arms held stiff and straight; traps the ball against the chest; turns the head away or shuts eyes; one hand arrives late
  • Developing: catches a gently tossed large ball with arms and hands from 1.5 meters; hands move together but timing is variable; forgets the clap or claps after catching
  • Proficient: catches with hands only, elbows bending to absorb the ball; fits in one clap before the catch; catches a bounced ball most of the time
  • Advanced: self-tosses, claps two or three times, and catches; catches while stepping to the side; manages a smaller ball with both hands together

Safety Notes

  • Use a soft, light ball — a hard ball teaches children to flinch
  • Toss gently and underarm; aim at the chest, not the face
  • Clear the area of furniture corners, lamps, and trip hazards
  • Glasses wearers may prefer a balloon or beach ball at first
  • If a child consistently uses only one arm, or one arm always lags behind, mention it to your pediatrician

Hints

  • Playfulness: the ball is a hot potato, a falling star, or an egg that must not crack — catch it “softly so it doesn’t wake up”
  • Sustain interest: keep a family record for catches in a row, or change the object each day — balloon, beach ball, cuddly toy, rolled socks
  • Common mistake: standing too far away and throwing too hard. Success rate should be about four in five; step closer rather than letting the child fail repeatedly
  • Limited space: kneel facing each other a meter apart with a balloon, or have the child sit and catch rolled socks dropped from just above
  • Cross-domain: count catches aloud or count backwards from ten (numeracy); name a colour, animal, or rhyming word on every throw (language)
  • Progression: balloon → beach ball from 1.5 m → hands-only catch → clap then catch → bounce catch → self-toss and catch → smaller ball → two claps

Sources

  • CDC/AAP Developmental Milestones — “catches a large ball most of the time” (4 years)
  • Gallahue, D.L. & Ozmun, J.C. — Understanding Motor Development (developmental sequence of catching)
  • TGMD-2 — catch criteria, including “ball is caught by hands only”
  • BOT-2 — Upper-Limb Coordination items (catching a tossed ball with both hands)
  • PDMS-2 Object Manipulation subtest — catching items
  • Ayres, A.J. — Sensory Integration and the Child (bilateral integration)