From Wobbling to Walking – Activities to Encourage Gross Motor Skills in Toddlers
In this blog, Sal McKeown will explore different resources and activities that will encourage gross motor skills in toddlers and look how to get children from the wobbling to walking stage.
My son didn’t walk until he was nearly 17 months old. From 14 months, he teetered on the brink and we would hold our breath, willing him to take his first steps. After all, he couldn’t be ‘a toddler’ if he wasn’t toddling.
It was so tantalising. Day after day, he would haul himself up and stand perfectly still. Sometimes he would do that little dance that babies do when they bend and flex their legs and jiggle to music. But he kept both feet firmly clamped to the floor.
At a year old, some of your children will be confident walkers, able to move quickly and carry objects without losing their balance. Others will still be crawling or bottom shuffling or standing on the sidelines like my son.
Here are some suggestions for activities to support a child’s development from crawling and standing to those exciting first steps:
Keep it tidy!
The first thing is to make sure the central floor space is as uncluttered as possible. You need good storage for quick clearing so children on the move are not tripping over and bumping themselves. A bookcase or shelving unit does not have to be tucked away against a wall. It can be a central feature especially those designed with inward or outward curving shelving. Low level, made of resilient MDF with a lovely finish, it can be a display area for new resources, nature displays or objects that signpost the latest topic. This makes it a very attractive pit stop for a child on the move and it is rugged enough to support the weight of even a baby or toddler.
Look out for mobile storage such as ones with lockable castors and drawers as they are a great addition to any nursery. They can easily be moved from one area to another but once the brakes are on, it will be safe for children to haul themselves up on. If you have choose different coloured trays, children can practise their colours and will quickly learn that the musical instruments live in the blue box.
Toys that encourage gross motor skills such as standing
When children use their hands to clap, bang or shake toys and rattles, they are not just improving their manipulation skills. They are also developing the muscles in their core to keep the rest of their body stable whether they are standing, sitting or walking.
Like magpies, young children are attracted to shiny things. They love to pick things up and are fascinated when they see a reflection or a distorted image of themselves. Why not add some Marvellous Metallic resources to your provision? These are so attractive that they deserve a place on a bookcase where they will encourage crawlers to stand, stretch, reach and touch – all good actions when it comes to building core muscles. Top up this collection with Radiant or Glow Resources, ideal for sharing with a friend.
Top tip to remember: Always check the age range of resources to make sure that they are suitable for the children in your room!
Gross motor skills – building core strength
While a child’s first steps are a magical moment, we now know that crawling is an important stage in a child’s development. Crawling improves hand-eye coordination and fires up the connections between the left and right parts of the brain. It also provides the necessary exercise to strengthen developing muscles and lays the foundation for good balance.
Having resources that are safe for children to practise and improve movements such as crawling and balancing, such as soft play, or tunnels are important and help children develop key skills.
Climb and crawl boxes or age appropriate climbing sets will suit children who are crawling, shuffling, sliding as well as those who are walking or running. Some will even fold and stack for easy storage.
The Babies and Toddlers Crawl Up Range is ideal for developing toddlers gross motor skills. The Crawl Up Messy Station is a sturdy piece of equipment. You can put different sensory materials in the trays for children to explore different textures, including the slimy and squishy ones. The Crawl Up Mirror and has an adjustable bar so children can pull themselves up safely, before looking into it at faces and their surroundings.
The Posting Station is another great addition. Children love to use one side as a post box. They will happily post toys, tools, noise makers – and anything else that is within reach including shoes and socks – and retrieve them from the low shelf underneath.
Activities for standing toddlers
Once a child can stand up without support, they are ready to enjoy tinkering or cooking in the home corner which are so much easier when you can use two hands. A good choice Is the TTS Eco Motor Skills Utensils Set. It has 21 pieces include tongs, mashers, scoops and even mini rolling pins. Ideal for making meals and snacks these tools can also help with early science concepts. Children can mix and sort dry ingredients such as pasta, flour and lentils using spoons and tongs, and use ladles to transfer water from jug to cups and explore the property of materials.
Tinkering is another enjoyable activity, especially if children have access to resources such as The Giant Stack and Build Block. There are 28 wooden pieces with a linseed oil finish so they are a pleasure to touch and smell. Your children might want just to slot them onto the wooden tower base or they could make a little shelter for their toys, but some will experiment and make elaborate constructions. Don’t forget to ask them what they are making because it won’t always be obvious!
Children love to stand and crouch to look at the Giant Light and Sound Spinning Top from all angles. While even children from 10 months will be enchanted by its coloured patterns, older children will want to experiment with its three different optional sound effects. It’s big, it’s safe, it’s fun, and it will help children learn about cause and effect. It is rechargeable and will last up to six hours.
Safe climbing for toddlers
If children want to have a go at spinning round, try the Mini Balance Spinning Top. They can swing, rock, and spin and this will enhance their balance, vestibular system and motor control. This toy is ideal for a child to use on their own but if you want to encourage children to share and play together, have a look at The Bridge. As its name suggests, it’s a bridge with steps for the child to go up and down but some children will see it as a tunnel to crawl through. Turn it over and you have a pretend boat to rock in. It incorporates several clever safety design features: the raised handles offer extra support for a more nervous child but also act as a buffer to limit how far the boat will rock.
For those settings that want a more ambitious climbing project the solution is The Nursery Climbing Set . This has a triangle, a climb and slide, a ladder,and an arch. You can combine them in different ways and they lock together so they are stable and safe for those not too steady on their feet. This is very much an indoor experience so you can add a rug at the bottom of a slide or at the side for bumpy landings. This provides an excellent rehearsal for park playgrounds and lets children build their confidence before they hang out with older or more adventurous children.
Sal McKeown is a freelance journalist writing about the needs and development of neurodiverse children. She is author of How to Help Your Dyslexic and Dyspraxic Child published by Crimson. She writes regularly for TeachingTimes and Education Today and contributes to the SEND network.
