practice

Bean Bag Games: 20 for Throwing, Catching and Balance

By Chaz Bagri6 November 20269 min read

A boy and a woman sit on the floor together, playing a game with small toys.

Try 20 bean bag games for ages 3 to 8, grouped by throwing, catching, balance and aim, with simple rules for home, nursery or the hall.

What can you play with a few bean bags?

Bean bag games include tossing into a laundry basket, catching a gentle throw and walking with a bag balanced on your head. These 20 ideas are grouped by throwing, catching, balance and aim, with players, space and a practice focus for each. Pick a game, try a short round and change the challenge together.

These ideas are written for ages 3 to 8. Gather soft play bean bags, baskets or boxes, and floor tape where needed. Rolled socks work too. Start anywhere; the quantities below are suggested game rules, so you can change them.

Each game lists players, space and the movement being practised. In England, Early Years Foundation Stage guidance covers whole-body movement, while key stage 1 physical education includes throwing, catching and balance. Our guide to physical development in the early years explains the wider picture.

Before play, check age labels and seams. Put split bags aside and keep loose filling away from younger siblings, especially under-3s: the Child Accident Prevention Trust warns about small parts and accessible stuffing. Clear the playing space and agree that everyone finishes throwing before anyone collects.

Which throwing games can you start with?

Start with a large target close by, then change either its size or its distance. That's the progression suggested by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. For these games, throw underarm: swing your hand forwards from beside your hip and let go.

1. Laundry-basket post

1 player | Small room | Throwing

Set a laundry basket a short step away. Say, "Post these 3 parcels into the basket." Throw, collect and repeat. For a first go, drop the bags in from above; move the basket away when your child asks for more.

2. Clear the river

1 player | Short lane | Throwing distance

Make a river with 2 strips of floor tape. "Send the parcel over the water." Throw from behind the near bank and land beyond the far bank. Move the banks closer together or further apart.

3. Other-hand challenge

1 player | Small room | Throwing with either hand

Place a box nearby and offer 4 bags. "Send 2 with this hand, then 2 with the other." Keep the box in the same place while you swap hands. Compare where the bags land, then repeat in reverse order.

4. Empty the postboxes

2 players | Short lane | Controlled throwing

Put 2 baskets apart, with 3 bags in each. "Send your parcels to my postbox, then I'll send mine." Take turns emptying a basket into the other. Choose a shared finishing point, such as getting every parcel delivered.

5. Collect and deliver

2 or more players | Hall | Moving and throwing

Put a pile of bags at the start and a basket beyond a throwing line. "Carry a parcel to the line, stop, then post it." Each player delivers before the next starts. Work together to empty the pile, with everyone choosing their own throwing distance.

How can you turn catching practice into a game?

Start with a drop or a tiny toss, then try sending the bag to somebody else. Let the catcher decide when they're ready. If a throw keeps going astray, bring the players closer and keep the same game, rather than adding another rule.

6. Tiny toss

1 player | Small room | Catching

Hold a bag in cupped hands. "Pop it just above your hands and catch it again." Keep the toss small, then see whether you can make 3 catches altogether. Try standing or sitting, whichever your child chooses today.

7. Ready, steady, catch

2 players | Small room | Partner catching

Stand close together with a bag. "Show me your ready hands, then I'll send it." Give a gentle underarm throw towards those hands and swap jobs after the catch. Agree a shared target of 5 catches altogether.

8. Drop and catch

2 players | Small room | Catching a falling bag

Ask your child to cup their hands while you hold a bag just above them. "Ready? Here it comes." Release it into their waiting hands, then swap roles. Increase the gap a little if they ask.

9. Clap before the catch

1 player | Small room | Catching timing

Start with a small self-toss. "Can you clap once before you catch?" Try 3 turns, keeping the toss comfortable rather than sending it towards the ceiling. If the clap gets in the way, return to tiny toss.

10. Name and send

3 or more players | Small circle | Passing and catching

Stand in a circle with a bag. "Say someone's name, wait for their ready hands, then send it." The catcher chooses the next person. Start by passing to neighbours, then try a throw across the circle.

What can you balance a bean bag on?

Try a palm, a foot or your head, first staying still and then adding movement. Children and Family Health Devon suggests line walking, supported one-leg balances and head-balancing bean bags as balance activities. Choose a starting version your child wants to repeat.

11. Head delivery

1 player | Clear walking route | Moving balance

Place a bag on your head and choose a nearby delivery spot. "Walk your parcel over without holding it." Start with a few ordinary steps, then try a longer route. If it falls, replace it where you are.

12. Palm delivery

1 player | Small room | Hand control

Rest a bag on an open palm. "Carry this plate without curling your fingers around it." Walk to a basket and tip it in, or play seated with the basket nearby. Swap hands for the next delivery.

13. Statue swap

2 players | Standing spots | Still balance

Take turns choosing where to place the bag: head, shoulder or open hand. "Make a statue and count to 3." Copy each other's shape before choosing another. Keep both feet on the floor for this round.

14. Beanbag tree

1 player with an adult | Standing spot | Standing balance

Rest a heel against the opposite ankle, keeping toes on the floor, and balance a bag on an open palm. "Keep your parcel on its branch." Hold an adult's hand if wanted. Try lifting the toes briefly, then swap sides; keeping them down also counts.

15. Foot delivery

1 player | Seated spot | Controlled leg movement

Sit on a chair with feet reaching the floor and place a bag on top of a foot. "Lift your parcel into this low box." Raise the foot a little and tip the bag in. Switch feet for the next delivery; an adult can reload.

Which aiming games work without much space?

Give the bag a particular landing place: between goalposts, on an island or inside a chosen square. These games let you change the target without needing a longer throwing lane. For a room with little overhead space, choose floor goal and slide the bag instead.

16. Floor goal

1 or 2 players | Short floor lane | Aiming

Set 2 paper cups apart as goalposts. "Slide your bag through the middle." Take 3 turns each, then change the width of the goal. Play from sitting or kneeling. On a surface where the bag won't slide, switch to an underarm toss between the cups.

17. Cup skittles

1 player | Short lane | Target throwing

Arrange 3 paper cups in a row and stand a short step away. "Which cup will you knock over?" Choose a cup before throwing, then reset the row. Try knocking them down from left to right.

18. Island landing

1 player | Small floor area | Landing accuracy

Lay a small towel flat as an island. "Land your parcel on the island, not in the sea." Throw 3 bags, then collect them. Fold the towel smaller for another round, or unfold it again.

19. Pick a number

1 or more players | Short lane | Choosing a target

Label 3 open boxes 1, 2 and 3. "Pick a number and send your bag there." Take turns naming the next target, or count the numbers you land in as points. The caller can play seated beside the thrower, outside the throwing lane.

20. Noughts and crosses toss

2 players | Floor grid | Aiming with a plan

Mark a 3 by 3 grid with tape. Give each player 5 bags or rolled socks in their own colour. "Get 3 in a row across, down or diagonally to win." Take turns throwing; a bag counts only if it lands wholly in an empty square. Pause throwing before retrieving misses to reuse on later turns. Keep successful bags in place. A full grid with no winning line is a draw.

How can you make a short session from the list?

Choose a throw, a catch and a balance, then keep the equipment out for another round if everyone wants one. You don't need to finish all 20. These example combinations give you a starting order, with different challenges available inside the same game.

A first go at home: spend about 2 minutes each on laundry-basket post, drop and catch, and palm delivery. That's 6 minutes of play. Keep the basket nearby and let your child choose which game gets an encore.
Siblings sharing a game: use pick a number with separate throwing spots. One child can stand close and the other further away, while both contribute to the same score. Swap who calls the target after each round.
A hall session: make stations for cup skittles, partner catching and head delivery. Offer about 2 minutes at each, with extra time for moving between them. Our warm-up games for early years and key stage 1 offer ways to begin.

If beanbag tree becomes a favourite, explore the Sun Salutation mat for more standing poses. Its sequence includes tree, with 15 numbered poses laser-engraved into the surface.

What if your child would rather invent the rules?

Let them. Offer the bags and a basket, then ask what the game should be called. They can choose the target, take the sender's role or watch you have a turn. If they don't want an audience, put away the score sheet and join in quietly.

You can leave the bags for another day, too. For a different kind of movement, our gross motor activities include alternatives beyond throwing and catching.

If you're worried about your child's movement or development beyond this game, speak to your GP or health visitor, as the NHS advises for developmental concerns.

Frequently asked questions

What are easy bean bag games for a 3-year-old?

Start with laundry-basket post, palm delivery or drop and catch. Put the basket close enough for your child to drop a bag into it, then invite a small throw. Leave out scores, offer a choice of targets and repeat whichever game they pick. There's no need to work through the whole list.

Can you play bean bag games sitting down?

Yes. Try palm delivery, drop and catch, or tossing into a nearby basket from a seated position. Keep the target within a comfortable reach and bring the bags back between turns. You can also slide a bag across a table towards a target, with someone at the other end to return it.

What can you use instead of bean bags?

A rolled pair of socks works for these home games. Fold the cuff over the bundle to hold it together, without adding rice, dried beans or other filling. Use different sock colours for team games. Start with the same close targets, then adjust the game to suit how your bundle moves.

How do you make a bean bag toss game at home?

Put a laundry basket or open cardboard box on the floor and mark a throwing spot nearby. Take turns tossing 3 bags into it, collecting them after the round. To change the challenge, move the spot or use a smaller box. For a shared game, add everyone's successful throws to the same total.

Sources

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