You’re sitting at home drinking your coffee when your toddler comes up to you and utters those fearsome words, “I’m bored.” Instead of frantically looking around for something to entertain them before the meltdown, relax! Here are five easy activities to do with your two-year-old that will be fun for them (and you!) and help them develop essential motor skills!
2-Year-Old Motor Skills Importance
Motor skills are the skills that help us move and coordinate the muscles of our body. There are two types – gross and fine motor skills. Children learn gross motor skills from head to toe, strengthening their head control and neck muscles and moving down to their toes. Their fine motor skills are developed separately as they learn to use their hands and fingers.
Motor skills are the foundation for everything your toddler does, from holding a pencil to running and jumping. This means it’s vital to support motor skills development through easy, fun activities that you can do at home.
Some examples of gross motor skills include:
- running
- jumping
- climbing stairs
Fine motor skills examples are:
- cutting with scissors
- drinking from a cup
- picking up food with fingers
5 Easy Activities to Help Your Toddler Develop Motor Skills
- Cutting with scissors
- Stacking cups
- Obstacle course
- Ball kick and toss
- Dancing
Practice Cutting with Scissors
Supplies: Kid safety scissors and paper
Begin by drawing a smiley face on your toddler’s dominant thumb. This is to help them with the proper placement of the scissors. When they begin to cut, have them check to ensure the smiley face is giving them a big smile! This is a terrific way to help your toddler develop their fine motor skills.
Stack the Cups
Supplies: Plastic cups
This is a fun activity that is only limited by your imagination! Ask your toddler to line the cups in a row and then stack them into a second line. Then ask them to put the cups in a pyramid or any variety of designs that you desire. Finally, you can draw the design and have them match it. The two of you can each build a stack, which can help teach your toddler to share the cups. This activity is great for developing fine motor skills.
Obstacle Course Challenge
Supplies: Pillows, books, painter’s tape, anything else you can find!
Have you got a rainy day and some bored toddlers? Then this is the perfect solution! Grab some household items and set them up.
For example: line up some painter’s tape for your toddler to try to balance on, add floor pillows to jump on, and finish it off with books to crawl around. There you have it – you have created your household’s first obstacle course! To really mix things up, let them try to set up their own course for you. This is a wonderful way for children to develop their gross motor skills while having a blast!
Toss or Kick a Ball
Supplies: Playground ball – add sidewalk chalk for more of a challenge
Take a light playground ball and gently kick it back and forth with your toddler. Next, take sidewalk chalk, draw a large rectangle as a “goal,” and see if your child can kick it into the chalked area. Finally, toss the ball back and forth in a game of catch. All three activities are fantastic for gross motor skill development.
Dance Party!
Supplies: Music, if desired.
Dust off your dancing shoes or go barefoot as you move to the rhythm of your kids favorite tunes. No music is required beyond your voice when you’re singing “I’m a Little Teapot” or the “Hokey Pokey” (both songs help develop balance, coordination, and body awareness). Who knew that gross motor skills could be learned with singing?
Motor skills development, both gross and fine, are critical for your toddler’s health and well-being. Don’t look at other people’s children and gauge whether yours is ahead or behind – but if you have any concerns, we recommend speaking with your pediatrician. It is easy to find activities that are fun for you and your child and that support this crucial stage of development. So, grab your toddler and plan to have some fun today!