Bean Bags Are Fun

Bean Bags are a great companion to any Training Program for early elementary or special needs children!

By Christina Chapan

Incorporating the use of beanbags in physical movement programs provides several advantages:
►Beanbags are relatively inexpensive to make or to buy.
►You can easily make a set using sturdy material. Fill with rice, beans, or shells
►Beanbags take little space and can be stored anywhere.
►Beanbags are appealing to all age and ability levels.
►Grownups, including senior citizens, find beanbags non-threatening to use in a physical fitness setting.
►Use of the beanbag prepares students for participating in such sports as soccer, football, bowling, or basketball when they get older.
►Beanbags are relatively safe to use (although use of them should be monitored).
►Beanbags teach self-control, coordination, direction, and manipulation of the body. When using beanbags, focus on eye, hand, and leg coordination. Special needs students will benefit with repeated practice using beanbags.
►Beanbags teach directionality when throwing and catching. You can teach the concepts of throwing and catching front, back, side, left, and right using the beanbag.
►Children learn to throw to others and catch.
►Levels of catching and throwing are also discovered.
►Learning to work with others is an important skill.
Beanbag practice should begin with free play. Ask children to share their creative ideas for making up different games with the beanbags. Then have the children throw the beanbag up in the air and catch it. Have them advance to working with partners, throwing the beanbag to each other. Stress the importance of throwing softly to your neighbor, and catching the beanbag with your eye on the bag at chest level.

Additional Activities:

►Toss with both hands. Then alternate left hand and right hand. Next, catch and throw using different hands.
►Throw the bag low, high, and to the middle. Ask the children how they would feel if you did not tell them where you were throwing the beanbag.
►Try different grips using the beanbag. Use palms up, and then palms down. Have children catch with just an open hand.
►Children can also kneel, stand, and lie down when catching the beanbag. 

Advanced skills:
►Throw the beanbag overhead, to the rear, turn around and catch the beanbag. Try a half turn throwing and catching, and then a full turn.
►Toss, clap the hands and catch the beanbag. Clap for different amounts of time. Clap the hands at different body parts.
►Pretend to do activities such as combing your hair, brushing your teeth or another sport while catching the bag.
►Toss, kneel and catch. Try catching between the legs, and then change positions so that you are facing the anterior direction.
►Throw the beanbag back and forth and side to side to your self.
►Balance on different body parts, and try using more than one beanbag to achieve this goal.
►Try to do different stunts or exercises while using the beanbag. This teaches hand or body dexterity and control. It also helps students with concentration.
►Teach body parts identification by putting or controlling the beanbag on different parts of the body.
►Teach colours, sizes, numbers, and direction using different beanbags. Speed, rhythm, and direction can be taught as you use different songs or music while moving the beanbag from one partner to another.
►Try throwing the beanbag to different surfaces, such as a shelf, or into a hula hoop, basketball or container. See how it feels to throw beanbags into various types of containers.

Beanbags are a great addition to physical fitness activities, to any classroom, or group fitness program. Children can practice what they have learned with a group instructor by working at home with an older sibling or parent.
What a wonderful way to build a healthy lifestyle for life!

Beanbag Resources:
Many of these skills can be found on CD`s from Kimbo Educational*. The following recordings give direction, variety, and verbal instruction. The CD`s include a guide, which features lyrics and instructions.
1. Me and my Bean Bag, The Learning Station.
2. Bean Bag Activities and Coordination Skills, Stewart, Georgiana.
3. Bean Bag Rock & Roll, Stewart, Georgiana. 2000.

About the Author:

Christina Chapan is an ACE certified personal trainer, fitness author, education conference speaker and elementary school teacher. Christina has a B.S. from North Central University in Elementary Education, an M.A. from Governors State University, and a C.P.T. from the American Council of Exercise. She is currently working towards a degree in Youth Fitness Training from The International Science Association. Christina teaches third grade and elementary science. She is also the Character Educational Lunchtime Coordinator for lower and middle elementary at her school, and works in the after-school care program.