How many fish can you catch in your bucket?
Catch the slippery fish and practice your hand-eye coordination with this fun game! This activity helps kiddos practice catching objects as well as throwing them. Grab some sponges and cut them into a “fish” shape, soak them with water and have your child catch them in a shallow dish!
☔ Stuck Inside? Switch up the wet fish sponges with something less messy...socks! Roll up 2 socks together and have your child practice throwing and catching them in the pot!
🐟 Game-ify it! How many fish can you catch in a row?
🤕 Save them for later. Don’t throw out the sponges when you’re done; freeze wet sponges and put them on boo-boos — kids love them!
Materials
For this activity you will need:
Sponges of different colors
Scissors or an Exacto knife
Permanent marker
A large pot or basket
Learning Outcomes
Domain
Physical
Skills
Gross motor
Indicators:
Throwing and catching with increased co-ordination
Instructions
Step 1:
Trace the outline of a fish onto the sponges and cut them out. Aim to have about 6-8 sponges for the game.
Step 2:
Get the sponges wet in water and wring out some (but not all) of the water from them.
Step 3:
Have your child hold the pot/basket and toss the fish to them to try and catch them in their pot/basket. Careful — they may splash when they land!
Step 4:
Trade spots and have your child try to throw the fish into the pot/basket for you!
⬆️ For older preschoolers: Make the sponges different sizes to increase the difficulty in the game.
⬇️ For younger toddlers: One “job” may be easier than the other (throwing over catching or vice versa.) Lean into this and build their confidence; once they’ve mastered either the throwing or catching, switch it up to have them practice the other skills of this game!
Playful Questions
Can you catch only the “big” fish I throw?
How many blue fish can you catch in a row?
How many fish can you catch in 30 seconds?
Have you ever seen a fish jump out of the water before?
Can you throw the fish using your other hand?
