Through her column, ‘Ask Susan’, Susan offers help and additional exercises exclusively for users of Edublox Online Tutor. This page contains Beanbags exercises 1-4, which help to develop fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination and motor integration.
To do the beanbags exercises, the tutor must first buy (you will find on Amazon.com) or make two beanbags.
Cut two pieces of cloth, about 9 by 4 inches (24 x 10 centimeters). Fold each piece double, and then sew two sides together, so that two little bags of 4½ by 4 inches (12 x 10 centimeters) will have been formed. Then fill the bags with something like dried beans, maize, corn or rice before sewing up the open side. Note that the bags should not be filled too tight.
One can also use Koosh balls to do this exercise.
Beanbags exercise 1
The tutor and the learner stand facing each other, about 7 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) apart. The tutor has one of the beanbags in her hands. She throws the beanbag at the learner, who must catch it with both hands. Then the learner throws the bag back at the tutor. He must take turns with the left and right hands; one throw must be performed with the left, and the next with the right hand.
See demonstration video below.
As soon as the learner can catch the beanbags properly — i.e. he can catch 9 out of 10 times they are thrown at him — proceed to Beanbags exercise 2.
Beanbags exercise 2
The tutor and the learner stand facing each other, about 7 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) apart. The tutor has both the beanbags in her hands, one in each hand. She first nominates the hand with which the learner must catch e.g. “Right!” and then throws one of the beanbags at the learner, who must catch it with the nominated hand. Then the learner throws the bag back at the tutor with the same hand. The tutor throws the bag at the learner again, this time nominating the other hand. The learner must again catch with the hand so nominated.
See demonstration video below.
As soon as the learner can catch the beanbags properly — i.e. he can catch 9 out of 10 times they are thrown at him — proceed to Beanbags exercise 3.
Beanbags exercise 3
The tutor and the learner stand facing each other, about 7 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) apart. The tutor has both the beanbags in her hands, one in each hand. She throws one of the beanbags at the learner, who must catch it with the hand on the same side as the hand with which the tutor threw. Then the tutor also throws the other bag at the learner, while the learner simultaneously throws the bag in his hand back at the tutor. The tutor and learner continue to throw the two beanbags simultaneously at each other.
See demonstration video below.
As soon as the learner can catch the beanbags properly — i.e. he can catch 9 out of 10 times they are thrown at him — proceed to Beanbags exercise 4.
Beanbags exercise 4
The tutor and the learner stand facing each other, about 7 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) apart. The tutor has both beanbags in her hands, one in each hand. She throws both the beanbags simultaneously at the learner, who must catch both, each in one hand. Then the learner throws both bags back at the tutor, who must also catch them both, one in each hand. The tutor and the learner continue to throw the bags simultaneously at each other.
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Exercises provided by Edublox Online Tutor
