Patrick’s Beanbag Game

Patrick and Nelson set up a beanbag game on the school lawn. They put a blue hoop on the grass. They take turns tossing red and yellow bags towards it.

Patrick’s bag lands inside the hoop, then slides out beneath the edge. Nelson tries next. His bag also moves downhill on the sloping grass.

“We reached the target, but our bags will not stay there,” says Patrick. Their teacher suggests checking the ground first. They need not change their throws yet.

The boys find a level space on the paved play area nearby. They carry the hoop there. They leave plenty of room between their throwing place and the other children.

Nelson tosses the yellow bag into the middle of the hoop. It stops where it lands. Patrick notices that the bag no longer slides downhill.

Patrick takes a turn with the red bag. He stands a little closer than before. Both bags reach the target. The boys move their starting place back by one small step.

They ask their teacher to join the game and show her the new place. Each player collects a bag after their turn. The next person has a clear target to aim at.

At the end, the boys pack the hoop and both bags into the games box. “We checked our playing place first,” says Patrick, “and that made the game fairer for everyone.”