Beanbag Target Toss Game

4-5 beanbags or rolled-up socks

3 targets — buckets, boxes, laundry baskets, or hula hoops

Painter's tape for the throw line

Set up your targets in a line going away from the throwing spot. Place the biggest, easiest target (a laundry basket) about 3 feet away. Put a medium box at 5 feet. Place a small bucket or hula hoop at 7 feet.

Mark a throwing line on the floor with painter's tape. This gives your child a clear boundary.

Hand your child the beanbags and point to the closest target: "Can you toss it into the basket?"

Let them throw using whatever form comes naturally — underhand, overhand, two-handed. Don't correct their technique at this age, just encourage the attempt.

Count how many beanbags land in or on each target. Celebrate every hit.

Once they've thrown all the beanbags, walk together to collect them. The walking back and forth is bonus exercise.

Try the medium target next, then the far one. Missing is expected — the near misses teach your child to adjust their effort.

Let your child rearrange the targets wherever they want and create their own course. Ownership of the setup keeps them engaged longer.

Beanbags are better than balls for this game because they don't roll away after a miss. This keeps the focus on throwing, not chasing.

Rolled-up socks make perfect free beanbags. Fold a pair into a ball shape and they have just the right weight and softness.

Start with the targets very close and very large. Nothing kills motivation faster than missing every time. Early success builds the confidence to try harder throws.

For a fun twist, assign point values to each target: close bucket is 1 point, medium is 2, far is 3. Let your child add up their score.

Take this outside and use chalk circles on the driveway as targets for a whole new feel.