Laundry Basket Lob

An underhand tossing game where the child lobs beanbags or sock balls into baskets set at different distances, learning to control how hard to throw.

  1. Set out three containers in a line — for example a laundry basket at 1.5 meters, a box at 2.5 meters, and a bucket at 3.5 meters from a throwing line.
  2. Give your child six beanbags or rolled socks.
  3. Teach the underhand toss: “Swing back like an elephant’s trunk, step with the other foot, and let go when your hand points at the basket.”
  4. Two tosses at each basket, nearest first. The idea is a high, soft lob that drops in, not a fast flat throw.
  5. Count how many landed in. Then let your child rearrange the baskets and set the challenge for you.

Variation: give each basket a points value, toss with the other hand, or have a helper hold a basket and move it slowly from side to side.

Requirements

  • Space: A clear lane about 5 meters long; works well indoors
  • Surface: Any flat surface
  • Materials: 2–3 containers (laundry basket, box, bucket, cooking pot); 6 beanbags or pairs of rolled socks; tape for the throwing line
  • Participants: 1 child; fun with siblings or a parent taking turns
  • Supervision: Light — an adult shows the toss and joins in

Rationale & Objective

The underhand throw is its own fundamental skill — it is one of the seven ball skills in the TGMD-3, and the PDMS-2 Object Manipulation subtest includes underhand throwing and hitting a target underhand. Where the overhand throw is mostly about power, the underhand lob is about control: to drop a beanbag into a basket the child must choose the right amount of force and the right moment of release, then change both when the basket is farther away. That constant re-calibration across three distances is what builds graded force and distance judgment. The same gentle, accurate toss is what a child needs to play catch with someone, so this game also prepares them to be a good throwing partner. The stepping pattern (opposite foot forward) mirrors the overhand throw, reinforcing the cross-body coordination both skills share.

Progress Indicators

  • Early: flings the beanbag with a stiff arm; lets go too early (into the floor) or too late (straight up); little difference in force between near and far baskets
  • Developing: smooth backward-and-forward arm swing; lands about half of the tosses in the nearest basket; starts to throw harder for the far one
  • Proficient: steps with the opposite foot; lands most tosses in the near and middle baskets and some in the far one; visibly adjusts after a miss
  • Advanced: lobs with a deliberate arc into a small container at 3.5 meters; succeeds with the non-preferred hand at close range; can hit a slowly moving basket

Safety Notes

  • Use soft objects only — beanbags, rolled socks, or small soft toys — so a wild toss harms nothing
  • Keep the lane clear of siblings and pets, and collect beanbags only after all have been thrown
  • Beanbags and socks on a smooth floor are slippery to step on — gather strays before the next round
  • If a beanbag splits, bin it; the filling (beans, rice, pellets) is a choking hazard for younger children
  • Keep it light-hearted for children who get upset at missing — move the baskets closer and praise the swing, not the score

Hints

  • Playfulness: the baskets are hungry hippos, pirate ships to load with cannonballs, or washing machines that need filling before the timer goes off
  • Sustain interest: let your child be the course designer; put a basket on a chair, under a table, or behind a cushion wall so the lob has to go over something
  • Common mistake: throwing flat and hard, which bounces the beanbag out. Ask for a “rainbow throw” and trace the arc in the air with a finger first
  • Limited space: use one cooking pot and change the challenge instead of the distance — standing, kneeling, sitting, eyes on the pot then eyes closed
  • Cross-domain: assign points (1, 2, 3) and add up the score with fingers or counters (numeracy); sort beanbags or socks by color into matching baskets (classification); use the words near, far, over, under, behind (spatial language)
  • Progression: one big basket at 1.5 m → three distances → smaller containers → toss over a barrier → non-preferred hand → toss to a partner who catches in a basket

Sources

  • PDMS-2 Object Manipulation subtest — underhand throwing and hitting a target underhand
  • Ulrich, D.A. (2019), TGMD-3 — underhand throw performance criteria (arm swing down and back, opposite-foot step, follow-through)
  • Gallahue, D.L. & Ozmun, J.C. — Understanding Motor Development (fundamental manipulative skills)
  • Head Start ELOF — Goal P-PMP 1 (control, strength, and coordination of large muscles)
  • UK EYFS Development Matters — Reception: refine ball skills including throwing, catching, kicking, passing, batting, and aiming
  • Stodden, D.F. et al. (2008), “A developmental perspective on the role of motor skill competence in physical activity: an emergent relationship,” Quest