A toddler is any child that is aged between 12 and 36 months, often children this age can be very energetic and busy. This energy comes from your toddler’s curiosity of the world around them, the world is a very stimulating place to a toddler and naturally they want to explore it. Toddlers run around a lot because running for a toddler is a new developed skill and they just want to do it all the time. Unlike someone who is older and has been able to run for a long time – this activity may not be exciting anymore. Toddlers also lack the cognitive ability of self-control and are trying to test limits at the same time.
Why Expose Active Toddlers to Preschool Activities?
Exposing your toddler to preschool activities allows them to develop their gross motor skills. These skills require whole body movement that use core muscle groups for various activities of motion such as walking. It also includes skills such as coordination for example with ball skills. Improving your toddler’s gross motor skills allows for them to be more successful later on in life and impacts on their fine motor skills.
- Pillow Walking
This is the perfect activity to do when you are stuck indoors with your active toddler. Find all the pillows you can in your house and line them up in a straight line. Get your toddler to walk on the pillows, you can increase the difficulty with this game by moving the pillows further and further apart or by asking them to walk on the pillows in different ways such as crawling, sideways, etc.
- Ball Games
Another simple activity that can be done indoors as well as outside is rolling a ball between you and your toddler. Have your toddler sit down opposite you and roll the ball to each other. This is such an easy game, yet toddlers find it very entertaining, to increase the difficulty try and move further away from each other or use one hand to roll the ball etc.If your toddler starts to get distracted while playing this game, pretend to make a mistake and roll the ball slightly in the wrong direction and ask your toddler to get the ball. Keep pretending to make this mistake and have your toddler get the ball, it’s a great way to keep them guessing about where the ball will go and encourages the use of various muscle groups.
- Dancing
Dancing is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by all ages and can be done inside or out. This activity doesn’t require any preparation, just pick a selection of songs that your toddler enjoys and start dancing! Toddlers naturally enjoy music and move their bodies to it, so this is an easy and fun activity.
- Obstacle Course
This activity will work best in an outdoor environment where toddlers are able to run around freely. You can make this activity out of everyday objects such as chairs and rope. Try and arrange the obstacle course in such a way that the child must stretch to get over something, crawl to get under something or run.
Remember it is important to keep your toddler’s wellbeing at the forefront of you mind. Such as keeping them entertained even when they are very energetic, whether it is improving you toddler’s socialization through games or providing them with the right nutrition.