The magical creatures have escaped! Catch them all to keep the magical forest a secret. Children learn how to overarm throw in this imaginative game to challenge all abilities.
Scatter ~10-15 hula hoops (adjust this to suit your group size) in a small, flat space. In each hoop, place 1-3 objects (e.g a ball, marker, beanbag, witches hat). Facing the hoops, line up a row of flat markers at least 5 metres away (the throwing area). Place an empty bucket or hoop behind the throwing area (this will be the treasure chest). Each child starts with a beanbag.
Tip: For larger groups, set up the flat markers in a circle around the hoop set-up.
Examples of magical creatures include;
- Witches hat = unicorn
- Tennis ball = slime ball
- Animal beanbag = an animal
- Foot marker = giant's footprint
- Star marker = shooting star
- Skipping rope = snake
Step 1:
- Explain to the children that they are the ‘Magical Creature Catchers’ and all the Magical Creatures have escaped into the forest and need to be returned safely to their homes before the humans find them!
Step 2:
- Upon the educator's instruction of "Ready, Aim, Fire!" the children overarm throw their beanbag
- Children must wait for the educator's 'all clear' to collect their beanbag
- If they land in a hoop with a magical creature, they choose one animal to collect and return to the treasure chest
Step 3:
- Once everyone has thrown, everyone collects their beanbag and returns to their marker to throw again
- Continue working as a team and return all the creatures to the treasure chest before the magical forest is discovered!
- Move hoops closer
- Use more hoops
- Try underarm throwing
- Move hoops further away
- Use tennis balls
Before starting, demonstrate how to throw. Practice throwing without a beanbag, pretend you have an invisible ball. Remember the throwing teaching cues:
- Ready: Stand like a surfer (side-on)
- Aim: Make a muscle arm (throwing arm bent up above shoulder), Point the other arm at the target
- Fire: Step on the star (step with the opposite foot onto the star marker) and throw
- Have hoops set up at a variety of distances to challenge all children
- Build the story behind this activity to engage children even more. Upside down cones can be unicorns - use your imagination!
- Work as a team to rescue all the creatures together
- Ask children which magical creatures they are trying to get? Unicorns, dragons or flying pigs?
- Let the children come up with the names for the magical creatures that have escaped