Beginners  The children can practice the basic throw and catch from a kneeling position first before doing it from a standing position.

Intermediate  Encourage the children to remain on the spot and to repeatedly do the activity without moving their feet.

Advanced  The children can try doing the clap behind their backs instead to increase the difficulty level.

Extra Advanced  A clap can be done both in front and behind before catching the ball.

Special Needs  Repetition is necessary to create muscle memory, once the basic throw and catch is done with confidence then add the clap or advanced suggestion.

Give each child a ball. Have them stand in their own space with feet apart and the ball held in front of the body.

The ball must be thrown in an upwards direction in a controlled manner.

The throw must be approximately one meter in height.

Immediately after releasing the ball, a clap of the hands is done before the ball is caught again with both hands.

If the ball is thrown too low there will not be enough time to clap the hands.

Some children may have difficulty throwing the ball in an upward direction. Check their hand placement on the ball and encourage them to push the ball upwards and not away from them.

If this activity is easily achieved, add in additional claps or read the activity progressions for ideas on how to make the activity more challenging.

Is best to stand with feet apart to aid balance while throwing and catching. If more than one child be sure they are well spaced so they don’t bump into another if they move to catch a ball.