plastic pellet bags

I made 27 bean bags for Christmas presents for all the little kiddos in my family. I wanted something that is washable since throw up happens (and beans rot when they get wet). They are filled with little plastic pellets, just like the sand boxes over at Strong Museum of Play.

I got the idea from this blog.

Don't they look cute all wrapped up, 3 in a bundle?

I found info on the web explaining in detail how to play with a bean bag.

(not including drinking games, because apparently that's really popular)

Brian scoffed at my excitement over these, so I hope they go over better with the 3 and 4 year old crowd.

Beanbags teach self-control, coordination, direction, and manipulation of the body.

When using beanbags, focus on eye, hand, and leg coordination.

Beanbags teach directionality when throwing and catching.

You can teach the concepts of throwing and catching front, back, side, left, and right using the beanbag.

Children learn to throw to others and catch

Throw the beanbag up in the air and catch it

Toss with both hands. Then alternate left hand and right hand.

Next, catch and throw using different hands.
Throw the bag low, high, and to the middle.

Try different grips using the beanbag. (palms up, palms down)

Have children catch with just an open hand.
They can also kneel, stand, and lie down when catching the beanbag.
Advanced skills:
Throwing the beanbag overhead, to the rear, turning around and catching the beanbag.

Try a half turn throwing and catching, and then a full turn.
Toss, clap the hands and catch the beanbag. Clap for different amounts of time.

Pretend to do activities such as combing your hair, brushing your teeth or another sport while catching the bag.
Try catching between the legs.
Throw the beanbag back and forth, side to side, to your self.
Try to do different stunts or exercises while using the beanbag. This teaches hand or body dexterity and control. It also helps with concentration.
Teach colors, sizes, numbers, and direction using different beanbags.
Try throwing the beanbag to different surfaces, such as a shelf, or into a hula hoop, basketball or container.

See how it feels to throw beanbags into various types of containers.

Draw a tic-tac-toe board on poster board. Toss the beanbags on the board to get three in a row.

Stand at different distances from a can and try to toss your beanbags in it.