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Activity Overview

Participants learn about and practise aim and accuracy as they send an object toward targets different distances away.

  • Intermediate (Ages 13-15)
  • Senior (Ages 16-18)

Facility

  • Gymnasium
  • Outdoors

Materials and Equipment

  • 1 hula hoop per group
  • 1 floor marker (e.g., baseball base, poly spot) per group
  • 3 pylons per group
  • 1 beanbag per participant

Safety

Inspect the activity area and eliminate potential hazards. Check that the activity surface provides sufficient traction. Set boundaries for the activity a safe distance from walls and obstacles. Ensure that activities take place a safe distance apart.

Activity Information

Activity Set-up

  • Divide participants into small groups (e.g., three to four).
  • Have participants place a hula hoop at one end of the playing area, and place a floor marker in the centre of the hula hoop.
  • Participants set up their area, placing three pylons at a range of distances from the hula hoop. Participants select a beanbag.

Activity Instructions

  • Participants take turns attempting to underhand throw the beanbag into the hoop and onto the floor marker from their choice of the three distances.
  • When the beanbag is thrown from the closest pylon and lands inside the hoop but not on the floor marker, the participant scores 1 point. If the beanbag lands and stays on the floor marker, the participant scores 2 points. The score is multiplied by two if the beanbag is thrown from the pylon at the medium distance and multiplied by three if the beanbag is thrown from the pylon at the farthest distance. Participants try to reach exactly 21 points in as few throws as possible. If a participant scores over 21 on a throw, then the participant’s score goes down to 11 and the game continues.
  • The leader asks open-ended questions to help participants refine their movement strategies and tactical solutions during the activity. Examples include: What force or effort are you applying to your throw at the different pylon distances? How did you maintain control of the object you are throwing when you were closer to or farther away from the target? How did you choose which target to aim for? Did your strategy change as your score changed? Which sports use strategies similar to the ones used in this game?
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Adaptations

To maximize the challenge and the fun, participants could identify their own ways to increase or decrease the challenge.

To decrease the challenge, participants could:

  • Decrease the distance between the pylons and the target.
  • Change the object they choose to throw (e.g., rubber chicken, soft-skinned ball, beanbag).
  • Remove the floor marker and only use a hula hoop as the target.
  • Adjust the scoring system.

To increase the challenge, participants could:

  • Increase the distance between the pylons and the target.
  • Use a smaller target (e.g., a piece of tape to mark the target) within the hula hoop.
  • Choose a more challenging way to throw the object (e.g., using their non-dominant hand, using an overhand throw, throwing from a sitting position).
  • Decide which objects to throw from the different distances (e.g., a soft-skinned ball at the first pylon, a beanbag at the second pylon, a table tennis ball at the third pylon).
  • Set a time limit for the game and challenge themselves to see how many points they can score within that time frame.

Pause for Learning

Throughout the activity, consider highlighting the following skills, concepts, and strategies for effectively throwing an object toward a target. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and further learning opportunities may arise during the task.

Movement Skills and Concepts

  • Manipulation skills and effort awareness – applying controlled force to send an object into targets at different distances
  • Body awareness and location of self - choosing an appropriate distance away from the target, and understanding how the body moves when throwing an object toward a target

Movement Strategies

  • Applying appropriate skills to be proficient when throwing an object toward a target (e.g., work on accuracy by following through in the direction of the target)
  • Applying tactics that will increase the chances of hitting a target (e.g., keeping eyes on the target to improve aim and increase the accuracy of the throw)

Sport Connections

Contains aspects of:

Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

For health benefits, children aged 5-11 and youth aged 12-17 years should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.

This activity does not qualify as vigorous intensity.

Vigorous-intensity activities at least 3 days per week. This activity does not qualify as vigorous intensity.

This activity does not strengthen muscles and/or bones.

Activities that strengthen muscle and bone at least 3 days per week. This activity does not strengthen muscles and/or bones.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.

More daily physical activity provides greater health benefits.