Bean Bags

Physical Education Lesson Plan

S: Physical Education
T: Bean bags
O: Kindergarten – To practice hand-eye coordination. To practice timing and balance.
1st grade – To practice throwing and catching skills at different heights.
2nd grade – To exercise and have fun with bean bags while improving hand-eye coordination skills.
P: Teacher led demonstration and explanation.

Bean Bags

Each student has their own bean bag and are in their own self space.
1) With left hand behind their back, toss and catch with right hand only.
2) With right hand behind their back, toss and catch with left hand only.
3) Toss with right hand catch with left, toss with left and catch with right.
4) Make a rainbow by tossing with right hand up and over body and catching with left. And left to right.
5) Put one knee on the ground, toss and catch.
6) With both knees on the ground toss and catch.
7) Sit on you r bottoms, toss and catch.
8) Lie on your backs, toss and catch. (Which is easier to toss and catch, standing or lying? Standing—more range of motion.
9) Toss at a high level (standing) and catch it at a medium level (kneeling).
10) Toss at a medium level and catch at a high level.
11) Toss at a high level and catch at a low level (sitting).
12) Toss at a low level and catch at a high level.
13) Balance on one foot, toss and catch. Other foot.
14) Close one eye, toss and catch.
15) Close both eyes, toss and catch. Students should be tossing at an easy, low height.
16) Toss bean bag, turn around in a full circle and catch.
17) Toss bean bag, touch head and catch. Toss bean bag, touch head and shoulders and catch. Toss bean bag, touch head, shoulders and knees and catch. Toss bean bag, touch head, shoulders, knees and toes and catch.
18) Toss the bean bag from the front of your body and catch it behind you.
19) Toss the bean bag from the back of your body and catch it in front of you.
20) Toss the bean bag and catch it above your head. Catch it at your waist. Catch it right before it touches the ground.
21) Toss the bean bag and jump up and catch it above your head. (Relate this to rebounding a basketball.)
22) Toss it up and clap once and catch. Clap twice, three times. How many times can you clap before you catch the bean bag?
23) Toss your bean bag and catch it without making any noise. Talk to them about giving as they catch.
24) Place the bean bag between your ankles, jump up and catch the bean bag.
25) Place the bean bag on your head and tilt your head backward and catch the bean nag in your hands.
26) Place the bean bag on your head. Pretend you are sitting in a chair, tilt your head forward and catch the bean bag between your knees.
27) Each student gets a Frisbee and a bean bag. Lean the Frisbee against a wall, take 3 giant steps backward and try to throw the bean bag and knock the Frisbee over. Then take 6 giant steps back, etc.

Partner Activities

1) Toss and catch one bean bag back and forth with a partner.
2) Toss and catch where both of you have a bean bag and you toss them at the same time.
3) One partner holds the bean bag higher than their partner’s head. The other partner holds their hand open with their palms facing each other. The partner drops the bean bag and you have to time it correctly and slap your hands together and catch the bean bag.
4) One Step – You will have two lines, students will be side by side. In the one line will be one partner, in the other line will be their partner facing them, across from them. You can play this game with the partners having one bean bag between the two of them or two bean bags between the two of them. When the teacher says “toss”, everyone tosses the bean bags. If they catch one (or two if they are playing with two) then they step back one step. Teacher will say “toss” and everyone will toss. If you miss, you go back to the start lines. If they both catch their bean bags then they step back.

Relay Races (Make 4-6 lines with 5 to 8 in a line.)

1) Place the bean bag on your head and walk or run to the half court line of a basketball court and turn around and walk or run back. If the bean bag falls off your head, you must stop, put the bean bag back on your head, get your hands away, and start your movement again. When you get back the next student in line goes.
2) Place the bean bag on your elbow. Do not bend your arm and hold on to the bean bag. It lays on your elbow.
3) Place the bean bag on your shoulder.
4) Place the bean bag between your knees.
5) Place the bean bag on the top of your shoe in the toe area.
6) Place the bean bag on your knee. You will need to hop.
7) Hot Potato – Run down to the end of the basketball court and back. Every time the bean bag touches you, you have to toss it again. The students may do high, long tosses or short, low tosses. Either one is okay.

Whole Class Activity

1) Freeze Tag – The bean bag should be on a certain body part (head, shoulder, elbow, etc.). The person or persons who are “it” can pick their bean bags up when they fall, but if anyone else’s bean bag falls, they are frozen until someone comes and picks it up for them.. Or if the person who is “it” tags them, they are frozen until someone unfreezes them. The person who is “it” can not tag someone without the bean bag being on their head, etc.