Snowball Toss Game

[30 Minutes]

Here's a game you and your child can make yourselves that will have you throwing and catching.

You'll need:

• 2 sheets of construction paper • large plastic lid • cotton ball or small foam ball • scissors • glue or tape • crayons

What to do:

1. Help your child make a large circle on the construction paper by tracing around the plastic lid.
2. Invite her to decorate it with crayons if she wishes.
3. While she makes one, make one yourself.
4. Draw a line from the center of each circle to the edge.
5. Help your child cut on that line.
6. Help her overlap and glue or tape the edges of the slit to form a cone.
7. Once the cones are dry, invite your child to use a cotton ball as a snowball and toss it into the air and catch it in the cone.

How to play:

1. Play the snowball catch game together, tossing the "snowball" back and forth. Give your child some problem-solving situations such as:

   "Can you toss the "snowball" while taking a step backwards?"
   "Can you toss and catch the "snowball" while standing on one foot?"

2. When your child tires of this game, try this guessing game. Turn the cones upside down on the table and have your child close her eyes. Place the cotton ball under one cone. When she opens her eyes, have her guess where the cotton ball is. Now switch places and let her hide it for you to guess.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• Could you think of a way to toss and catch a real snowball? What types of containers would you use?
• What do you like best about snow?
• What else could we toss in the cones we made?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, your child is developing eye/hand coordination and problem-solving skills.