5 Activities To Progress Toddler's Leg Stability
Moving around is a major aspect of being a toddler. So why not assist in helping them stimulate more from their movements in a fun and playful way.
1. Ball Passing Games And Fun
The ball in this game can be kicked, thrown, rolled, bounced, or all of the above; the main aim is for your child to have fun and move around. In addition, the repetition of movements with the ball can help your child strengthen their leg muscles, coordination, flexibility, arm dexterity, and balance. This is done when they stop, pick up, throw, chase, run, and kick the ball.
This game is best done outside with a medium to a large bouncy ball. Choose a beach rubber ball for easy kicking, picking up, and throwing for your child.
2. Walking While Pushing/Pulling Toys
Please provide a few medium-sized toys your child can push or pull as they walk at different speeds. This is a fun way to help your child practice walking, coordination, balance, and stability. In addition, the physical movements and effort of pushing and pulling these toys will help strengthen all your child’s muscles and require them to use problem-solving skills as they practice squatting, bending, and developing spatial awareness.
For toddlers that are 18-20 months
Pushing toys such as shopping carts, baby carriers, medium size sitting cars.
Realistic-looking wagons that they can put things into.
Corn Poppers pushing toys.
Homemade pull or push toys.
Medium size push cars that have music and touching buttons.
For toddlers that are 24-30 months
Medium to large size cars with big stable wheels.
Wooden shape stacking pull toys.
Realistic-looking baby carriages and shopping carts.
Pushing toys that encourage social interactions
Homemade pull or push items.
How to challenge your toddler more as they pull toys
Create a walking path for your child using pillows.
Play Red light, Green light with your child. When Green Light is called out, this means to walk, and Red light means to stop.
Play Simon Says at different speeds; for example ‘‘Simon says to walk slowly.’’
Do walking challenges with your child, such as walking sideways and backward.
3. Play The Move Like This Game
This is a fun game to play with your child. Call out different animals, such as sea animals, zoo animals, home pets, or farm animals, and encourage them to do the movements and make the sounds of the animals. Let your child be silly and have fun with their interpretations of the animals.
Some fun ideas
‘‘Jump up and down like a frog’’.
‘‘Hop like a bunny’’.
‘‘Walk like a penguin’’.
‘‘Move your arms like a monkey ’’.
‘‘Flap your arms like a bird’’.
4. Dancing To Active Music
Dancing should be free and self-directed; please allow your child to create their own body movements. Playing more energetic beats, fast rhythms, cultural beats, and songs with fast instruments encourage movement. Adding scarves, ribbons, small instruments, and more space can spark dance expression and creativity.
How does dancing help leg stability?
Your child can have the chance to move their whole body.
Your child can build more strength, speed, coordination, and flexibility.
Your child can be in control while testing out their legs.
Six dancing songs that are great for all ages
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.
Baby Shark.
Hokey Pokey.
Hurry, Hurry Here Come The Fire Truck.
Monkey See, Monkey Do.Â
The Wheels On The Bus.
5. Doing Heightened Leg Activities
Provide enough daily opportunities and space for your child to test, push, challenge, and repeat their leg movements. Extensive areas such as playgrounds are excellent; your child can use challenging equipment, run, and move around at their own speed. This can help them build strength, form a sense of autonomy, learn how to deal with healthy stress, test their abilities, form new physical skills and find joy in their accomplishments.
Choose parks that have
1. Exciting equipment
Equipment that will push your child’s legs to move at different speeds.
More than one climbing and sliding equipment.
2. Safe ground surfaces
Various ground surfaces include grass-covered areas, sand-covered areas, foam, or wood chips.
There is a mixture of soft and hard pavement for different leg activities.
There is a big open space for your child to have room to be independent, discover physical abilities, practice existing skills and push their leg sequences.
There are limits built into the environment, such as gates and clear pathways.
There is enough space to run, play, have social time and relax.
3. A variety of things to do
There is a play structure that has a variety of things for your child to choose to do.
There is a big sandbox with enough sand in it. Carry some extra sand toys.
There is a variety of safe climbing things with different heights.
There are things to press, turn, pull, climb and slide down on.
4. Space for running
There are safe paths to run at different speeds.
There is enough movement space.
There is an open grass space.
There are a few grass-coved hills.
There are a few different safe running surfaces.
Seven Easy Backyard Activities
Walking at different speeds.
Playing running and chasing games.
Riding bikes, wagons, and other riding cars.
Pushing vehicles while walking.
Crawling through tunnels.
Balancing on safe wooden planks.
Doing aerobics and dancing to music.