Preschool Indoor Fitness Activity - Magnet Toss

by Kelly Pfeiffer

This indoor fitness activity for preschoolers develops coordination, throwing skills and balance and uses two things that most people have in their homes – flat magnets and a metal front appliance. A great rainy day activity, magnet toss can be played over and over again by changing the set up for the game. Add short chairs, tall chairs and targets to create a different type of magnet toss each time.

What You Need

Flat Magnets (the kind that many advertisers attach to the front of phone books or give out to put on your refrigerator)

(optional)Painter’s Masking Tape – usually sold in colors blue or purple

Set Up for Magnet Toss

1. Choose A Space – Magnet toss can be played in front of any large metal appliance such as a clothes washer, clothes dryer or refrigerator. Check your available appliances to see which space would offer the most room for tossing magnets onto the front of the appliance.

2. Clear Space of Breakables – Remove any breakable items that are on or near the large appliance. Flat magnets are light weight and do not pose a high risk for damaging items, but it’s best to remove any breakable items from the throwing area.

3. Choose a Throwing Line – As in the adult game of darts, players will all stand behind a line to toss magnets. Lay a string on the floor or use painter’s masking tape to mark a tossing line for players to stand behind.

Various Ways to Play Magnet Toss

Simply Toss - Preschoolers may simply enjoy tossing and throwing the magnets and enjoy how the magnets stick to the metal appliance.

Create Targets – There are several ways to create target areas.

Painter’s Masking Tape - Tape shapes onto the appliance front with painter’s masking tape.

Magnets – Other magnets may be used to mark spaces on the appliance front. If you have magnets that aren’t flat and stick out a few inches from the appliance, preschoolers can try to toss their flat magnet in a way that knocks the target magnet off of the appliance.

Standing – Preschoolers stand behind the line to toss magnets.

Sitting – Preschoolers must sit either in a short chair or a tall stool behind the line and toss magnets.

Standing on one foot – Add a balance challenge to magnet toss by requiring older preschoolers to stand on one foot while they toss the magnet. This version will be quite difficult for some preschoolers.

Keep Score or Not

Most preschoolers are not interested in keep score, but you can turn this game into a math activity by having preschoolers record their score on paper, a dry erase board or chalk board.