A classic spin on traditional catch that works best with three people or more. One designated thrower stands an agreed-upon distance away from the rest of the players, all of whom are catchers. The thrower tosses the ball high in the air and shouts out a number between 25 and 500. Whoever catches the ball without dropping it gets the amount of points; if they drop it, they lose that amount of points. The game lasts until someone achieves 500 or more points. (Kids having trouble catching those high tosses? This is h ow to teach a kid to field a fly ball, in six steps) 2. Five Dollars Have the players stand farther apart. Remember the ball loses its bouncing height and momentum on each successive bounce. The goal is to bounce the ball as many times as possible. Double Ball Catch

Begin this team game for a large group by dividing in two teams of equal size. This game is played best in a gym or other large area with a hard floor. Give each team a basket or box of balls of different weights and sizes. Between the two teams, set a very large ball. The goal of the game is to force the large ball to the other team’s side by throwing smaller balls at it. A player may not touch the monster ball. If the ball goes out of bounds on the other team’s side of the court, the team doing so wins a point. You can set a time for play and the team with the most points at the end of the set time wins. You can also set a point goal to reach. Throwing Station Challenge This game, as the name implies, requires the players to bounce the ball to each other with a single bounce. Make sure they stand the right distance apart from each other for success. Add a target on the ground if you wish.

Lift arm so that ball is pointing to the target and near the ear on the side of the arm they are throwing with. Station 3: Have a target on the floor or ground for the thrower to hit. You can use tape to make an X. A fun variation on throwing and catching best played with a soft ball, this game helps increase reaction skills and keeps kids engaged. The premise is simple. Two or more people are playing catch. Before catching the ball, players must clap their hands together as many times as possible before making a catch. If they do, they get a point for every successful clap; if they fail to clap in time or drop the ball, they lose a point. First to 20 wins. 10. Bounce Catch

The games in this section will increase throwing proficiency while providing fun. Animal Sounds Throw and Catch Here’s how it plays out: The person whose number is called must try to catch or retrieve the ball; all other players must run away. Once the designated player retrieves the ball, they shout “Spud!” When this happens, the other players must freeze. The player who has the ball may take four steps, yelling “S!” “P!” “U! “D!” as they do so. They must then try to hit another player by throwing or rolling the ball. Frozen players aren’t allowed to move their feet, but can catch the ball or wiggle their hips/bend to avoid a toss. If the thrower successfully hits or a player targeted tries to catch but misses, they receive a letter (S, P, U, and then D); if the ball is caught, the thrower receives a letter. The player who receives a letter is the next thrower and the game repeats. Once someone spells out SPUD, they are out of the game; the last player remaining wins. 6. Hoop Throw Set up several stations for the kids to practice throwing. Choose age-appropriate challenges and base the number of the stations on how many players you have. We suggest the following, but you can add more if you wish. We have a wide range of garden games to help kids make the most of summer days, from classic sports sets and giant-sized board games to role play gardening toys for tots.Clapping and catching helps players increase their eye-hand coordination and provides a fun variation to simple catching. Put your players in a circle. If you have a large group, you can divide them into pairs. The ball is thrown from person to person with the goal of clapping the hands together before catching the ball. Points are given based on the number of successful claps. If the ball is dropped or a player does not manage to clap before catching the ball, a point is lost. The first player to reach twenty points is the winner. Bounce and Catch Players of this game that works well for kids over six begin by standing in a circle. Use a ball the size of a basketball. The goal is to throw the ball across the circle, surprising someone so that they do not catch the ball. If a player manages to catch the ball, the players on either side of the catcher raise the arm nearest the player. They hold this position until the ball is thrown to someone else. If a player misses a ball, they are out of the game. Additionally, if a player with their hand held in the air drops their hand before the ball is thrown, they are out. The last five players remaining in the circle are the winners. Bounce catch but consider the ante upped. Players stand further away from one another and try to achieve a coveted double bounce. 12. Two Ball Catch Yep. This is the classic basketball game but reimagined for playing catch. Same rules apply. A group of players start throwing a ball around. If one player misses a catch, they get a letter. If the thrown ball is uncatchable, the thrower gets a letter. Spell horse and you’re out. The last player standing wins. 8. Underhand “Golf”