One of the best ways to promote social and emotional development in toddlers is to encourage age-appropriate interactions. Whether you’re putting together a playgroup with friends in your neighborhood or taking your little one to the park, there are tons of ways to ensure your little one receives the developmental stimulation they need to thrive. Although traditional team sports aren’t developmentally appropriate for children until they’re a bit older, there are tons of ways to practice the skills they’ll need to dominate on the court and the field!
Easy Activities for Toddlers:
- Running
- Throwing
- Catching
- Dancing
- Swimming
Running For Toddlers
One of the best ways to prepare toddlers for participating in sports is to work on the fundamentals. Practicing running helps your little one improve their balance and footwork, but it also burns some of their energy! You can teach toddlers how to run by making it a fun activity. For example, teach them how to play a game of tag with you or run a relay race with friends or siblings. Running prepares toddlers for all sorts of sports, including soccer, basketball, cross country and track, lacrosse, and football.
Teach Toddlers How to Throw
The ability to throw a ball is an essential skill for toddlers who may want to play sports in the future. Throwing is also a fantastic way to practice hand-eye coordination. Believe it or not, the act of throwing a ball takes an incredible amount of coordination. The best way to teach toddlers to throw is to play a lot of throwing games with them and letting them explore the basics themselves. Try tossing socks into a basket or cardboard box as a fun way to get started!
Teach Toddlers How to Catch
Another important aspect of sports is catching. Like throwing, catching improves hand-eye coordination and concentration skills in toddlers that are a critical part of brain development. You can help teach children to catch when they are infants by rolling a ball across the floor and encouraging them to push it back to you. This activity teaches turn-taking, cause and effect, and reciprocal play, which are all critical in sports! Practice playing catch with different size balls such as a soft basketball, tennis ball, and inflatable beach ball.
Dancing With Your Child
Dance classes are a fantastic way to engage your child in physical activity while building their self-esteem, creativity, socialization, and flexibility. Many dance studios offer classes for children as young as two or three years old. In addition to movement basics, dance also improves muscle tone, increases balance and coordination, and corrects poor posture.
Teaching Toddlers to Swim
Swimming is an important skill to teach toddlers, especially if you live near a body of water. In addition to helping with overall life safety, swimming is excellent for overall strength and muscle building. Research shows that swimming helps teach infants and toddlers social, mental, emotional, and physical development, which makes it a fantastic way to improve their skills later in life.
Engaging in development activities such as swimming, dancing, catching, throwing, and running will help your child build skills for sports and more. At The Breakie Bunch, our focus is on building skills that will allow your child to thrive in all areas. Contact us today to learn more about our commitment to providing quality child care to your family!