Why Your Child Needs to Learn to Throw and Catch Tips from Occupational Therapists

Have you ever watched a group of 5 years olds enjoying their very first school sport’s carnival? Games like ‘Captain Ball’ and ‘Tunnel Ball’ are time-honoured favourites that give every child a chance to have a go … as long as they can catch and throw a ball.

Apart from literacy and numeracy, some of the most important skills your child will use in their first years of primary school are throwing and catching. These are considered “fundamental movement skills” because they underpin other, more complicated physical activities.

Recently, researchers have raised concerns about a decline in children’s throwing and catching skills. There’s no doubt that Australian children are becoming more sedentary in their habits, and in this age of portable devices and ‘screens’, there’s never been a more important time to ensure that your child has the physical skills they need to succeed as they play and learn.

Why is it so important to be able to throw and catch?

Not every child will aspire to being an Olympic athlete, but along with ball skills, your child will use their confident running, skipping, and balancing abilities every day when they are at school. In addition to recess and lunchtime play, weekly ‘sport’ sessions, gym and dance are all part of the Australian curriculum, with ‘Fundamental Movement Skills’ being a key part of the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) K-6 syllabus.

Finding like-minded friends

For many children, their ability to ‘play well’, offers a way to make and keep like-minded friends. Seemingly simple abilities to throw, catch, hit or kick a ball can also help your child to find their ‘place’ in their community when they are chosen to represent their school or area in a team or as an individual athlete or performer.

Even if your child is not particularly sporty, these skills provide the essentials they need to remain active and healthy throughout their lives. Research tells us the foundation for an active lifestyle is formed in early childhood. Throwing and catching skills can then be applied in more complex activities, from netball and basketball to softball and baseball.

Preschools and schools include fundamental movement skills in their programs. Guidelines note it takes between 240 and 600 minutes of teaching time for a child to become proficient in one fundamental movement skill. But research suggests parents can also help their kids at home, and you can start building these skills from about the age of two. Here are some tips:

• • Start simple
    When you’re helping your child, start with larger balls or balloons and work on overarm throwing, underarm throwing, and two-handed passes. These can include chest passes and bounce passes like you see in netball and basketball. As your child gets older, you can make the balls smaller and distances greater. You can introduce challenges, such as “show me a different way of throwing or catching”.
• •  Have formal and informal sessions
    One of the quickest ways to turn kids off sport is to get too serious about it too quickly. There’s a big difference between being your child’s play partner and their personal trainer! Practising the same skill over and over can help your child improve fast, but it doesn’t teach them how to use that skill in different situations. Kids learn best when they practice in different ways. For example, you could play a game where they throw to a target but mix it up by changing the targets instead of always throwing at the same one. It makes things more fun and keeps your child on their toes!
• • Vary the activities
    Doing the same thing over and over can get boring, and it won’t teach your child how to use their new skill in different situations. Mix it up! Try different ways of practising. If a task is unpredictable, it makes it more like a game and challenges your child to think and react. For example, play a game where they throw to a target, but keep changing the targets instead of always using the same one.
• • Keep it fun
    While you may be “practising” or “working” on a skill, try and make it enjoyable. Turn it into a game where the ball is a character with a story. Use a favourite toy as a target or obstacle. Incorporate a trip to the park where you can set up a fun obstacle course. You could also try using different types of balls, like a beach ball, a bouncy ball, or even a water balloon. Play catch with music and dance around as you throw and catch. The key is to keep your child engaged and having fun while they’re learnin

Concerned about your child’s gross motor skills?

If you have concerns about how your child’s fundamental movement skills are developing, talk to their teacher, early childhood educator, a paediatric occupational therapist (OT) or a paediatrician.

Kids First’s OT’s have helped hundreds of children build the catching and throwing skills needed to confidently play with peers. If we can help your child, contact us on 9938 5419 or follow the link below for more details

References:

¹ Tester, G., Ackland, T. and Houghton, L. (2014) A 30-Year Journey of Monitoring Fitness and Skill Outcomes in Physical Education: Lessons Learned and a Focus on the Future. Advances in Physical Education, 4, 127-137.

² Robinson LE, Rudisill ME, Goodway JD. Instructional climates in preschool children who are at-risk. Part II: perceived physical competence. Res Q Exerc Sport. 2009 Sep;80(3):543-51.

³ Chua LK, Dimapilis MK, Iwatsuki T, Abdollahipour R, Lewthwaite R, Wulf G. Practice variability promotes an external focus of attention and enhances motor skill learning. Hum Mov Sci. 2019 Apr; 64:307-319. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2019.02.015. Epub 2019 Mar 1. PMID: 30831389