Throw Catch Jump Flow

Overview

Lesson 4 of 10 in Mastering Throwing, Jumping, and Catching. Students combine three fundamental movement skills in continuous sequences, focusing on control, timing, safe spacing and smooth transitions. Activities can be simplified for younger students or made more challenging for older students.

Learning intentions

• WALT combine throwing, catching and jumping in a movement sequence.
• WALT move safely and smoothly between skills.
• WALT use space, timing and communication when working with others.
• WALT observe and give positive, specific feedback.

Success criteria

• I can throw and catch with control.
• I can jump and land safely with bent knees.
• I can link a throw, catch and jump without stopping.
• I can use encouraging words to help a partner improve.

Curriculum links

• Develop practical knowledge of body awareness, movement skills, safe practices and responsible participation.
• Develop and apply movement concepts such as space, pathways, levels, timing, force and flow.
• Participate in physical activity and adapt movement to suit different tasks, people and environments.
• Relate to others by communicating, cooperating, encouraging and responding fairly.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Welcome, purpose and safety Gather students in a semicircle and introduce the focus: “Today we will join throwing, catching and jumping so our movements flow.” Open with the hook and learning intention slides and ask students what makes a movement sequence look smooth. Establish safety expectations: eyes up, throw only on the signal, collect equipment by walking, stay in personal space and land quietly with knees bent.

2. 5–10 minutes – Active warm-up Students move around a clearly marked area, responding to calls such as walk, jog, freeze, high knees, side-step and two-foot jump. Add “find a space” and “change direction” cues. Finish with three practice landings: jump, land softly, freeze. Observe posture and remind students to keep enough space from others.

3. 10–16 minutes – Skill rehearsal In pairs, students practise a short pattern: partner A underarm throws, partner B catches, both place the ball down, then complete a two-foot jump and land balanced. Swap roles after five repetitions. Demonstrate the key cues: point towards the target, swing the arm, watch the ball, hands ready, bend to land and hold the finish. Younger students may roll or use a large soft ball; older students can add a chest pass or a one-foot take-off.

4. 16–28 minutes – Partner sequence challenge Pairs work in lanes with one soft ball. Their basic sequence is: throw to partner, catch, place or return the ball, jump over a line or low marker, then move back into ready position. Once controlled, they try to complete the sequence continuously for 30 seconds. Display the sequence and coaching-cue slides while students work. Partners give one positive comment and one next step, then change roles.

5. 28–38 minutes – Flow circuit Organise five groups of five. Set up five safe activity areas around the space, with groups rotating every two minutes:

• Throw and catch with a partner.
• Jump along a line using two-foot take-offs and soft landings.
• Throw, catch, then jump over a line.
• Move through a pathway, stop, throw and catch.
• Create and practise a three-skill sequence.

Students at each area should have a clear waiting place and collect equipment only when instructed. At the final station, older students can vary direction, level or distance; younger students can repeat one reliable pattern.

6. 38–43 minutes – Group performance and peer feedback Groups choose a safe sequence that includes at least one throw, one catch and one jump. They perform it once for another group. Observers use the prompts on the peer-feedback and reflection slides: “What was controlled?” and “Where did the movement flow?” Feedback must be kind, specific and about the movement, not the person.

7. 43–45 minutes – Cool-down and exit reflection Students walk slowly, complete gentle stretches and return equipment. Ask students to show with their fingers how confidently they can link the three skills: one = still practising, two = nearly there, three = confident. Invite two or three students to explain one safety or technique cue they will use next lesson.

Resources

• Soft balls, beanbags or scarves, one per pair where possible
• Floor markers, cones and hoops
• Lines, low ropes or flat markers for jumping pathways
• Five clearly marked activity areas
• Whistle or agreed stop signal
• Device and display for the movement sequence slide deck
• First-aid kit and suitable footwear
• Open, hazard-free playing area

Assessment

• Observe whether students throw towards a partner, track and catch the object, and land with control.
• Use questioning during practice: “How did you make the catch easier?” and “What helped your transition flow?”
• Note students who need support with spacing, coordination, confidence or safe landing, and use this information to plan Lesson 5.

Differentiation

• Support: use larger, lighter objects; shorten distances; allow rolling or trapping before catching; practise the throw, catch and jump separately before linking them.
• Support: provide visual demonstrations, consistent lanes and a peer model. Use short instructions and repeat the same movement sequence for students with processing or attention needs.
• EAL/SEN: pair spoken cues with gestures and visuals such as “watch”, “hands ready”, “jump” and “land”; allow extra processing time and non-verbal responses.
• Extension: increase distance, add a direction change, use a one-foot take-off, vary the level or pathway, or ask students to design a sequence with a clear beginning, transition and finish.