50 Fun Gross Motor Activities for Toddlers Your LiTtle One Will Love
Learn about 50 amazing gross motor activities for toddlers that will not only keep them engage but that they will love. Gross motor activities for toddlers have so many amazing benefits for their development.
In this article we will not only share these amazing gross motor activities for toddlers, but we will discuss all of the incredible benefits of them as well.
This post was created by Marra Robert, OTD, OTRL and contains affiliate links.
Gross motor activities play a crucial role in the healthy development of toddlers. These activities involve large muscle groups and whole-body movements, providing a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits for young children.
Hi! My name is Marra and I’m a mama and a pediatric occupational therapist who has years of experience working with children with different developmental needs and helping their parents navigate the ups and downs of child development.
I loved being a support person for parents learning about child development, sensory processing, and their child’s individual needs.
I would often recommend to families different gross motor activities for toddlers for their children to participate in targeting a variety of goals.
This post is all about the top 50 gross motor activities for toddlers as well and the benefits they have to their overall development and wellbeing. Your little ones will have a blast and learn at the same time.
The amazing Benefits of Gross Motor Activities for Toddlers
Physical Development: Engaging in gross motor activities for toddlers helps them develop and strengthen their muscles, bones, and coordination. Activities like climbing, jumping, and running contribute to better balance, coordination, and overall physical fitness.
Brain Development: Gross motor activities for toddlers stimulate various brain parts, promoting neural connections and cognitive development. When toddlers engage in movement-based play, they enhance their ability to focus, problem-solve, and make decisions.
Social Skills: Many gross motor activities for toddlers involve interaction with peers or adults, fostering social skills such as cooperation, communication, and teamwork. Through games like tag or group sports, toddlers learn to take turns, share, and collaborate with others.
Improve Regulation: Gross motor activities for toddlers improve sensory and emotional regulation. They help toddlers release energy, reduce stress, and manage their emotions effectively. Regular exercise can contribute to a more positive outlook and increased self-confidence.
Balance and Coordination: Gross motor activities for toddlers that require balance, such as walking on a balance beam or riding a scooter, help toddlers develop spatial awareness, coordination, and proprioception (awareness of one’s body in space). These skills are essential for everyday tasks and future physical activities.
Sensory Integration: Gross motor activities for toddlers often involve sensory experiences like touching different textures, moving through different environments, and exploring various sensory movements. This sensory input supports sensory integration, helping toddlers process and respond to sensory information more effectively.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits: Introducing toddlers to active play at a young age promotes lifelong habits of physical fitness and health. When children enjoy physical activities, they are more likely to continue being active as they grow older, reducing the risk of obesity and related health issues.
Improved Sleep: Regularly participating in gross motor activities for toddlers can contribute to better sleep quality and duration. Burning off excess energy during the day can lead to more restful nights and a more consistent sleep schedule.
Motor Planning and Execution:: Gross motor activities for toddlers require toddlers to plan and execute movements, enhancing their motor planning skills and coordination. As they practice different movements and challenges, they become more skilled at organizing their actions and achieving physical goals.
Creative Expression: Many gross motor activities for toddlers allow littles ones to express themselves creatively through movement. Dancing, pretending to be animals, or inventing new games encourages imaginative play and self-expressio
50 amazing gross motor activities for toddlers
Obstacle Course: Create a simple obstacle course at home using pillows, cushions, and tunnels for your child to climb over, crawl under, and navigate through.
Hopscotch: Draw a hopscotch grid on the sidewalk or use masking tape indoors for your toddler to hop and jump on one foot.
Ball Games: Play catch with a soft ball or try kicking a soccer ball back and forth in the backyard.
Dance Party: Put on some lively music and dance together, encouraging your toddler to move their body freely.
Balloon Volleyball: Blow up a balloon and gently hit it back and forth over a line or use a piece of furniture as a net.
Hop on One Leg: Practice balancing skills by hopping on one leg and then switching to the other.
Hula Hoop Fun: Use a hula hoop for your child to spin around their waist, arms, or try jumping through it.
Simon Says: Play Simon Says with gross motor actions like “Simon says touch your toes” or “Simon says jump up and down.”
Animal Walks: Pretend to be different animals like frogs, bears, or crabs and have your toddler mimic the movements
Jumping Jacks: Teach your child how to do jumping jacks, starting with simpler variations and gradually increasing the complexity.
Sensory Bin Dig: Fill a bin with sensory materials like rice, beans, or sand for your toddler to dig and explore using their hands and arms.
Bike Riding: Take your toddler for a bike ride using a tricycle or a small bicycle with training wheels.
Nature Walk: Go for a walk in nature, encouraging your child to climb over rocks, balance on logs, and explore the outdoor environment.
Stair Climbing: Practice going up and down stairs together, holding hands for safety and support.
Sack Race: Use old pillowcases or sacks for a fun sack race in the backyard.
Sidewalk Chalk Games: Draw shapes, numbers, or letters on the sidewalk and have your toddler walk, jump, or hop on them.
Water Play: Set up a water table or fill a basin with water and let your child splash, pour, and play with water toys.
Yoga for Kids: Introduce simple yoga poses like downward dog, tree pose, or cobra pose for flexibility and balance.
Kickball: Play a game of kickball where your toddler kicks the ball and runs to the bases.
Puddle Jumping: After a rain shower, let your child wear rain boots and jump in puddles for a sensory and gross motor experience.
Balance Beam: Create a makeshift balance beam using a long piece of wood or a low beam at the playground for your toddler to walk across.
Freeze Dance: Play music and dance together, pausing the music intermittently for your child to freeze in different poses.
Basketball Shootout: Set up a small basketball hoop and have your toddler practice shooting the ball into the hoop.
Wheelbarrow Walk: Hold your child’s legs while they walk on their hands like a wheelbarrow, strengthening their upper body.
Bubble Pop: Blow bubbles and encourage your toddler to pop them by jumping or reaching for them.
Tug of War: Use a soft rope or scarf for a friendly game of tug of war, promoting teamwork and strength.
Bean Bag Toss: Create targets using buckets or hoops and have your child toss bean bags or soft balls into them.
Playground Play: Take your toddler to the playground to climb on structures, swing, slide, and engage in various gross motor activities.
Jungle Gym Adventure: Set up a jungle gym in your backyard or visit a local park with climbing structures for your child to explore.
Musical Chairs: Play musical chairs with a twist by adding movement challenges like hopping or skipping around the chairs.
Bouncing on a Trampoline: Use a small trampoline for your child to bounce and jump, improving balance and coordination.
Soccer Dribbling: Set up cones and have your toddler practice dribbling a soccer ball around them.
Ring Toss: Use rings or hoops to toss onto cones or other targets, enhancing hand-eye coordination.
Jump Rope: Introduce basic jump rope skills to your child, starting with simple jumps and progressing to more advanced techniques.
Balloon Stomp: Tie balloons to your child’s ankles and have them try to stomp on each other’s balloons while protecting their own.
Rolling and Catching: Roll a ball toward your child and encourage them to catch it, gradually increasing the distance.
Scooter Riding: Let your toddler ride a scooter, providing opportunities to push off with one foot and balance.
Zoo Animal Parade: Pretend to be zoo animals and march in a parade, stomping, crawling, and roaring along the way.
39. Rope Climbing: Use a sturdy rope or a rope ladder for your child to climb, building upper body strength.
Kick the Can: Set up a game of kick the can where your child kicks a ball or can toward a designated target.
Twister Game: Play a modified version of Twister with large colored circles on the ground for your child to step or jump on.
Pillow Fight: Have a safe and gentle pillow fight with your toddler, encouraging them to move their arms and dodge pillows.
Jumping Over Lines: Draw lines with chalk or use masking tape indoors for your child to practice jumping over.
Sack Hopping Race: Use burlap sacks or large bags for a hopping race, adding fun challenges along the way.
Hiking: Take your child on a hike, exploring different terrains and encouraging them to climb rocks and hills.
Basketball Dribbling Drills: Set up cones and have your toddler practice dribbling a basketball around them in different patterns.
Parachute Play: Use a parachute or a large sheet for cooperative play, lifting it up and down together or playing parachute games.
Gymnastics Moves: Introduce basic gymnastics moves like forward rolls, cartwheels, or bear crawls for agility and flexibility.
Water Balloon Toss: Fill water balloons and have a friendly toss-and-catch game, staying cool and active on hot days.
DIY Bowling: Set up empty plastic bottles as bowling pins and use a soft ball for your child to roll and knock them down.
These gross motor activities for toddlers are not only fun for toddlers but also essential for your child’s development. So have fun exploring which ones your toddler loves!
