24 Beanbag Ideas

1) Tape a number on the bottom of the bag. Everyone says a number. The one closest to the number gets to say the opening prayer. Repeat to see who is the girl drink line leader, boy drink line leader and closing prayer.

2) Using an example of the Word of Wisdom, have a review by tossing the bag to a child and they have to say something that is against the Word of Wisdom. When everyone has had a turn, start over having them say something that is healthy.

3) Put pictures from recent lessons (in their page protectors!) on the floor. Children take turns tossing the bag on a picture. Then they have to tell what that picture is about.

4) Time for a music break! Everyone stands up. Play the Primary music CD as children pass the beanbag. When the music stops, whoever is holding the beanbag sits down. Keep going until everyone is sitting.

5) Ask a question. Then toss the beanbag to a child to answer the question. They answer the question and toss it back. Ask next question and toss beanbag to another child.

6) Toss the beanbag to a child. Say something you like about that child. Then they can toss it to someone else and say something nice about them.

7) Have each child say something they are thankful for when you toss them the beanbag.

8) If there is time left over, just for fun see who can walk across the room with the bag on their head, hand, or hop balancing it on their knee.

9) Hide the beanbag in the hall somewhere between Primary and your class. (Maybe label your beanbag) Tell the children as they leave Sharing Time to walk slowly and reverently to class and keep their eyes open for the beanbag. Remind them not to pick it up, only to spot it, then they can sit down in class and wait until all children spotted the bag.

10) Hide the beanbag in the classroom. The first person to spot it and raise their hand gets a special assignment like choosing a child to give the prayer or putting the chairs away or returning things to the library. Don't let them race to grab it.

11) "Today we learned about..." toss the bag to a child, they can share one thought from the lesson or activity, then they toss it to the next and so on. 

12) Pin questions all over the beanbag. Toss it to a child. They get to pick a question and give the answer. Then toss it to another person to pick another question to answer.

13) Categories: Stand or sit in a circle. Choose a category. One person starts the beanbag moving by naming one thing in that category then passing the bag to the next person. You could either do outs or just have time limits. Suggestions include: Books of the Book of Mormon, Latter Day prophets, names of children in our Primary, etc.

14) Tell the children that only the person holding the beanbag may talk. "Right now I am giving the lesson so I am the one holding the bag. If you have something to share or know the answer to a question, raise your hand and when I toss you the bean bag you may talk."

15) For Singing Time have pianist play a song that you need to review, everyone sings the song as they pass the beanbag. When the music stops the person holding the bag sits down. You could do this with a tape recorder (from the library) and a tape of Primary songs in the classroom.

16) When the kids walk in hand one of them the bean bag. Let them choose a reverent or quiet person in class to hold the bag for 5 minutes or until you ask that child to choose another person that is being reverent or quiet to hold the bag.

17) Let kids toss beanbags into a yes bucket or no bucket, depending on the answer to your question.

18) Start a sentence then toss the beanbag to a child to finish the sentence. 

19) Hot and cold. Hide the bag. Choose one child to be it. They leave the room while someone hides the beanbag. Have kids sing louder or softer as "it" gets closer or farther from the bag.

20) Write questions on big squares of paper that corresponds to the lesson or activity. Place them on the floor. Have kids stand back and toss the bag. They get to answer the question that their bag lands on. Or just for fun have points on the papers and keep score.

21) Tell a progressive story about good choices. The child holding the beanbag gets to advance the story as far as they want to before they pass it to have the story continued.

22) Do a spotlight on a child at intervals through the year. Put a child in front of the class. Whoever is holding the beanbag gets to ask the spotlighted child a question.

23) Do a speed pass, like hot potato. For example, play music as the children name things they can do to gain a testimony. Whoever is holding the beanbag when the music stops has to do that thing they named for the entire next week.

24) Have the children hide the beanbag from you. (in the room, not on themselves). If you can find it, they have to listen quietly to your lesson.
 

Here is another list of 32 more ideas:

1. Do a review of your lesson by tossing the bag to each child and asking them a question about something they were taught in the lesson.

2. Ask the children a question; then, while your back is turned, have the children pass a bean bag or small ball from one child to another. When you turn around, ask the child holding the bean bag or small ball to answer the question.

3. When a lesson calls for word strips, pictures, flannel board figures, etc., lay them face down on the floor. The student tosses the beanbag to select a word strip, picture, etc., and flips it over.

4. "Count your blessings" - Have each child say something they are thankful for when you toss them the beanbag. "I am thankful for ..." Toss to the next person.

5. Tape a number on the bottom of the bag.  Everyone says a number. The one closest to the number gets to say the opening prayer. Repeat to see who is the girl drink line leader, boy drink line leader and closing prayer.

6. Using an example of the Word of Wisdom, have a review by tossing the bag to a child and they have to say something that is against the Word of Wisdom. When everyone has had a turn, start over having them say something that is healthy.

7. Put pictures from recent lessons (in their page protectors!) on the floor. Children take turns tossing the bag on a picture. Then they have to tell what that picture is about.

8. Time for a music break! Everyone stands up.  Play the Primary music CD as children pass the beanbag. When the music stops, whoever is holding the beanbag sits down. Keep going until everyone is sitting.

9. Ask a question. Then toss the beanbag to a child to answer the question. They answer the question and toss it back.  Ask next question and toss beanbag to another child.

10. Toss the beanbag to a child. Say something you like about that child. Then they can toss it to someone else and say something nice about them.

11. If there is time left over, just for fun see who can walk across the room with the bag on their head, hand, or hop balancing it on their knee.

12. Hide the beanbag in the hall somewhere between Primary and your class. (Maybe label your beanbag) Tell the children as they leave Sharing Time to walk slowly and reverently to class and keep their eyes open for the beanbag. Remind them not to pick it up, only to spot it, then they can sit down in class and wait until all children spotted the bag.

13. Hide the beanbag in the classroom. The first person to spot it and raise their hand gets a special assignment like choosing a child to give the prayer or putting the chairs away or returning things to the library. Don't let them race to grab it.

14. "Today we learned about..." toss the bag to a child, they can share one thought from the lesson or activity, then they toss it to the next and so on.

15. Pin questions all over the beanbag. Toss it to a child. They get to pick a question and give the answer. Then toss it to another person to pick another question to answer.

16. Categories: Stand or sit in a circle. Choose a category. One person starts the beanbag moving by naming one thing in that category then passing the bag to the next person. You could either do outs or just have time limits. Suggestions include: Books of the Book of Mormon, Latter Day prophets, names of children in our Primary, etc.

17. Tell the children that only the person holding the beanbag may talk. "Right now I am giving the lesson so I am the one holding the bag. If you have something to share or know the answer to a question, raise your hand and when I toss you the bean bag you may talk."

18. For Singing Time have pianist play a song that you need to review, everyone sings the song as they pass the beanbag.  When the music stops the person holding the bag sits down. You could do this with a tape recorder (from the library) and a tape of Primary songs in the classroom.

19. When the kids walk in hand one of them the bean bag. Let them choose a reverent or quiet person in class to hold the bag for 5 minutes or until you ask that child to choose another person that is being reverent or quiet to hold the bag.

20. Let kids toss beanbags into a yes bucket or no bucket, depending on the answer to your question.

21. Start a sentence then toss the beanbag to a child to finish the sentence.

22. Hot and cold. Hide the bag. Choose one child to be it. They leave the room while someone hides the beanbag. Have kids sing louder or softer as "it" gets closer or farther from the bag.

23. Write questions on big squares of paper that corresponds to the lesson or activity. Place them on the floor. Have kids stand back and toss the bag. They get to answer the question that their bag lands on. Or just for fun have points on the papers and keep score.

24. Tell a progressive story about good choices.  The child holding the beanbag gets to advance the story as far as they want to before they pass it to have the story continued.

25. Do a spotlight on a child at intervals through the year. Put a child in front of the class. Whoever is holding the beanbag gets to ask the spotlighted child a question.

26. Do a speed pass, like hot potato. For example, play music as the children name things they can do to gain a testimony.  Whoever is holding the beanbag when the music stops has to do that thing they named for the entire next week.

27. Have the children hide the beanbag from you. (in the room, not on themselves). If you can find it, they have to listen quietly to your lesson.

28. Review recent lessons. i.e.: "If I make a wrong choice, I can ______ (repent), etc.

29. Sometimes I bring a bean bag and we will pass it around while we sing. The one holding the bean bag when the pianist stops playing must say the next line.

30. For Nursery have kids toss beanbags into buckets.

31. Articles of Faith: Have the players stand back about eight feet and throw a bean bag into a muffin tin. The muffin tin has numbers in the bottom. The person has to say the Article of Faith corresponding to the number of the partition the bag lands in. Younger children can repeat the Articles of Faith with you.

32. Use buckets or tape to make a tic-tac-toe board, use the bean bags as X's and O's. You could also have them try to answer questions before they get to toss a bag.