Toss and Hit
Toss a ball at bottles, increase the challenge little by little, and build persistence in a cheerful “Missed it? Try again!” game.
- 18 months
- Quick prep
- At home
- About 15 minutes
Developmental benefits
- Cognitive：Moving from one target to several gives your child repeated chances to try again, adjust a strategy, and persist through a challenge.
- Movement：Swinging an arm, throwing, bending, and picking up the ball coordinate the arms, shoulders, and trunk.
Preparation
What You’ll Need
- 1
A small soft ball
- 2
empty plastic bottles
Step 1
Knock Down One Bottle
Place one bottle on the floor and demonstrate tossing the ball to knock it down. Set it up again and invite your child to copy the arm swing and throw. Celebrate a successful hit to keep interest and confidence growing.
What to notice
- Swings an arm and throws the ball
Gross Motor - Copies your throwing motion
Imitation and Symbolic Representation and Play
Tips
- Demonstrate slowly and describe the motion: “Arm up—throw forward.”
- If missing becomes frustrating, move your child closer or guide their hand through one throw so they can experience a successful hit.
- Each arm swing practices #PMP-GrM, while aiming at the bottle uses hand-eye coordination and #PMP-FiM.
Step 2
Can You Knock Down More?
Once one bottle feels familiar, line up three and invite your child to knock them down one by one. Whether the ball rolls between them or only brushes a bottle, notice the effort and encourage another try.
What to notice
- Tries another toss after a bottle stays standing
Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning) - Aims at a bottle and hits it with the ball
Fine Motor
Tips
- Before raising the challenge, name the first success: “Great aim—you knocked down one! Want to try three?”
- Notice progress in the process: ‘The ball got closer!’ or ‘You almost hit it!’ This kind of process-based encouragement supports #ATL-CSR.
- After several misses, invite a different strategy, such as changing direction or trying an overhand toss.
Step 3
A New Idea!
Your child may invent a new way to play—for example, rolling a larger ball to knock down every bottle at once. Notice and celebrate the new idea so creativity becomes another reason to keep experimenting.
What to notice
- Invents a new way to play, such as using a larger ball
Creativity - Focuses on throwing the ball to knock down a bottle Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning)
Tips
- Choosing a larger ball shows #ATL-Cre: your child changed the tool instead of staying with only the original method.
- Encourage any reasonable new method, even if it does not work on the first try. The valuable part is testing a new idea.
- For another challenge, add some water to the bottles so they take more force to knock down.
Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026