Make Your Own Ball Catch

by Sharon MacDonald
Topics: Preschool, Arts and Crafts, Outdoor
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This surprisingly simple homemade toy quickly becomes a challenging game. Your child will hone her hand-eye coordination skills and develop arm and shoulder muscle control as she works to master the ball catch. Save some money and a trip to the toy store by making your own ball catcher!

What You Need:

Toilet plunger (unused)
Soft ball, such as Nerf® ball
String
Large-eye needle

What to Do:

Purchase a short handle toilet plunger and a small soft ball.
Unscrew the plunger head from the handle.
Use a 3 inch large-eye needle to thread a 3 foot length of string through the middle of the ball.
Tie-off the string by making a large knot.
Remove the needle.
Tie the opposite end of the string to the screw end of the plunger handle.
Now, screw the handle back into the plunger head.
Give the plunger handle to your child and see if she can catch the ball in the plunger head! She will get better and better with practice.

Adapted with permission from "Squish, Sort, Paint & Build: Over 200 Easy Learning Center Activities." Copyright 1996 by Sharon MacDonald. Used by Permission of Gryphon House, Inc., Maryland. All Rights Reserved.