Reach out and touch someone - from five feet away! I invented this cross between a bean bag and a yo-yo so that my students in wheelchairs could still play tag. Plus, it makes use of all those orphaned one-size-fits-all gloves that cost about a dollar and wind up mismatched in the back of your mitten drawer. Filled with dried split peas, the glove acquires a texture and weight that make it inviting to toss. Just be sure to point at the dog when someone asks, "Who touched me?"
Materials
- 1/2 cup of dry split peas
- 1 inexpensive knit glove (such as a Magic Glove)
- 30 inches of flat elastic, 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide
- Hot-glue gun
Instructions
1. Pour the peas into the glove.
2. Tie a knot at one end of the elastic, and place the knotted end into the cuff of the glove.
3. Run a line of hot glue across the inside of the cuff. Using a towel or glove to protect your hand, push the glove together, squeezing the hot glue across the inside of the cuff of the glove. Be careful not to touch the hot glue.
4. When the glue is cool, tie a large loop (big enough to go around your wrist) in the other end of the elastic.
Variations:
Games to Play:
Helping-Hand Tag
The Hand-yo is great for tag, because it can really extend your reach - perfect for children who use wheelchairs or for kids who are simply not as fast as their peers.
Hands Around the World
Place a hula hoop on the ground, then set up several empty plastic pop bottles in a circle about 2 feet outside the ring. One at a time, players sit or stand with the Hand-yo in the center of the ring and try to knock down the bottles in the fewest tosses.
Yo Skipper
Dangle the Hand-yo from the loop around your wrist. Start dragging the Hand-yo in a circle on the floor. Once you have the movement going, try stepping over the Hand-yo as it comes toward your feet. If you're up to a challenge, slip the Hand-yo around an ankle and try to skip over the glove as you spin it around your leg.
Out-of-Hand Fishing
Cut a few fish shapes from carpet (or craft) foam and stick the barbed half of a self-adhesive Velcro closure to each one. Place your fish in the center of a "pond" (a large rug is fine). Stand on the shore and launch the Hand-yo toward the fish to see how many you can retrieve.
Crafts
