Tripping and stumbling are not uncommon as little ones develop the gross motor skills they need to walk, run, jump, climb, swing, throw, and catch with confidence. Building the large muscle groups – the arms, legs, feet, and core – provides the strength, balance, and coordination kids need to move their bodies with ease. And the good news is that gross motor development is fun! Give these five activities a go to help your little one feel steadier on their feet:
1. Hopscotch! Grab the sidewalk chalk and create a simple hopscotch course. Challenge your child to hop through first on one leg, then the other, then on both feet. Add more boxes and trickier moves as your little one builds their skills.
2. Catch! Start seated, rolling a soft, bouncy ball back and forth to each other. Then stand a few feet apart and practice tossing and catching. Back up a foot or two to increase the difficulty as your child’s aim and coordination increase. Shake things up by attempting to toss the ball into a laundry basket or large bucket or aiming for a chalk circle target on your garage door.
3. Walk the Plank! Create a floor-level balance beam with masking tape on your carpet and take turns walking across it without falling off. Try walking flat footed, on tippytoe, taking large steps and small ones, and walking forward, backward, and sideways. Turn your plank into a zig zag or circle. Tip: raising your arms out to the side helps with balance!
4. Stork! Set the timer on your phone and practice standing on one foot for a few seconds, then try the other foot. Increase the time as your little one’s balance improves, then see who can stand the longest on one foot without falling down. Don’t forget to switch feet!
5. Jump! Place a series of washcloths on the carpet in a room with lots of space (don’t try this with hard wood or other slippery floor surfaces). Demonstrate jumping from cloth to cloth using regular steps and jumping with two feet. Change up the course to make things more challenging – try spreading the cloths out and leaping from cloth to cloth.
6. Freeze! In a safe, open space, let your child loose to run as fast as they can. Yell STOP and see if they can stand still in place for a second or two before you yell BACK and have them run back to you. Continue with STOP, GO, and BACK until you need a hydration break!
7. Skip! Skipping requires both gross motor skills and coordination, so don’t worry if your child comes up with their own version of the move. Start by stepping forward with one foot and hopping up in place. Practice this a few times, then practice with the other foot. Put it all together – step forward, hop up, switch – and you’re skipping!
8. Go Wild! Watch some nature videos on YouTube, noting the way that different animals move. Then see if your little monkey can copy those moves. Call out gorilla, frog, penguin, bear, flamingo, and kangaroo and see if your kiddo can make the moves.
9. Follow the Leader! This is a great way to help your child practice specific skills they need, from reaching for the sky (without falling over) and balancing on one foot to jumping over a small obstacle or walking on all fours.
10. Fill the Bucket! Start with two similarly sized buckets, laundry baskets, or clean indoor trash cans. Add small balls, rolled socks, or crumpled paper to one of them, then time your child as they remove the items and transfer them to the other bucket, one by one. Move the buckets father apart as your child’s time improves.
Building gross motor skills is fun, and before you know it your little one will be climbing trees and riding bikes. Enjoy this time together, working on the skills they need to put their best foot forward, literally!
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