Let us de-construct the act of throwing & catching a ball. Your child must anticipate or predict the direction and speed of the ball as it’s coming at him. Then, he has to figure out how to get himself in position to meet and catch the ball. Every part of his body is involved in the effort, and whether he catches it or not, his brain has tracked and recorded the nature and physics of that experience in order to apply it the next time. Only, chances are the ball will react a little or a lot differently the next time!

As such, Ball Play keeps little ones on their toes, expecting the unexpected, teaching their brains and their bodies to react to changing circumstances. In other words, Ball Play is an early lesson in the art and science of unpredictability and learning to control situations and ourselves in the process.

A child who learns to manage his reactions to changing situations is much more likely to have the confidence and resilience necessary for situations far more important than bouncing the ball!

Steps:

1. Put the magnetic letters on the garage door

2. Space them out by putting one letter in each rectangle

3. Start calling out a letter and ask your child to throw the ball at it and catch it on the return

4. You can increase the pace of the game as your child masters the ability to throw and catch without dropping the ball on the return