Boosting Gross Motor Skills in Babies and Toddlers

Insights from Mizzie The Kangaroo Founder Sandra Ebbott and Paediatric Physiotherapist Wendy

As parents, we always strive to provide the best environment for our little ones to grow and develop. Gross motor skills, which involve the large muscles in the body and are crucial for movements like crawling, walking, and running, are particularly important in the early years. To shed light on how to foster these skills effectively, Sandra Ebbott, founder of Mizzie The Kangaroo spoke to Wendy, a seasoned paediatric physiotherapist. Keep reading to find out what she said.

Start Early and Embrace the Outdoors

"So, what are some of the first things that you can do to help your baby or your toddler to increase those gross motor skills? I would say start from a really early age getting outdoors and going to playgrounds," Wendy recommends.

Exposing your baby to outdoor environments from an early age is key. Whether it's lying your little one on a picnic rug on the grass or letting them feel the texture of different surfaces, these experiences are invaluable. The natural elements, fresh air, and open space provide a stimulating environment for babies to explore their movements.

The Importance of Playgrounds

As your child grows, playgrounds become an essential venue for developing gross motor skills. “Spend more time at the playground, try all the different equipment, and always take a ball,” Wendy advises.

Playgrounds offer a variety of equipment that challenge and enhance your child's physical abilities. Swings, slides, climbing frames, and see-saws each play a role in building strength, balance, coordination, and confidence. Encouraging your toddler to try different activities helps them learn to navigate new challenges and develop resilience.

The Magic of Ball Play

A ball is a simple yet powerful tool in promoting gross motor skills. “You’ve always got to be playing with a ball when you’re outdoors. That helps their visual development, their hand-eye coordination, but also those bigger gross motor skills,” Wendy emphasises.

Playing with a ball helps in various ways:

• Visual Development: Tracking a moving ball enhances visual skills.
• Hand-Eye Coordination: Catching, throwing, and kicking a ball improves coordination.
• Speed and Agility: Chasing a ball encourages running, which develops speed and agility.
• Jumping and Climbing: Using the ball in obstacle courses or games that involve jumping over or climbing onto objects fosters these important gross motor skills.

Creating a Fun and Engaging Environment

The key to developing gross motor skills lies in making the activities enjoyable and engaging for your child. Through Mizzie The Kangaroo’s range of educational toys and books, learning through play is a delightful experience for children.

“Our toys and books are designed to support babies’ development while making sure they have fun. From our natural teething toys to our interactive board books and puzzles, each product encourages children to move, explore, and learn,” Sandra shares.

Incorporating these activities into your daily routine not only boosts your child's physical development but also creates precious bonding moments. So, grab a ball, head to the nearest playground, and watch your little one’s gross motor skills flourish!

For more tips and resources on supporting your child’s development, follow us @mizziethekangaroo and explore our range of purposeful, educational, and sustainable toys.

Transcript

So what are some of the first things that you can do to help your baby or your toddler to increase those gross motor skills?

I would say start from a really early age getting outdoors and going to playgrounds. You want to expose the baby from a very early age to the idea of running around playing on the grass even if you lie them down on a little picnic rug on the grass when they're still really little.

Then as they get older spend more time at the playground try all the different equipment and always take a ball.

You've always got to be playing with a ball when you're outdoors. That helps their visual development their eye hand coordination but also those bigger gross motor skills like working on speed being able to jump over obstacles being able to climb things all of those great gross motor activities that little toddlers need to be able to do.