Guest Author - Linda Hamill

Fun and reducing stress for 6 to 12 month old toddlers!

6 – 12 MONTHS: MOTOR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

Rock Side to Side

Get about 8 thick towels for you and your child to use... Lay one towel on top of each other so there is eight towels. Then roll them up so they are thick rolls. You and your child straddle the roll of towels... Support child on the hips. Lean the roll to the right and then to the left, so that the child transfers the weight to one foot for support. Stop between each movement.

Going Rolling

Put the child over the roll that you made. Roll the child slightly, transferring the weight from hands to feet, feet to hands. Continue rolling until the arms have been released and the child's weight is on the feet. Gradually the child will push off the roll to a standing position. Support child's hip.

Going Crawling with Mommy and Daddy

As your child learns to crawl, lead the way around different objects such as a chair, a stool, and a box. Crawl through a hoop, cardboard box tunnel, tire structures. Arrange favorite objects to encourage child to crawl under tables, benches, or a person's body forming a bridge. Challenge the child to crawl zigzag, straight, in circles, slowly, quickly, forward, backward.

Tug of War

Use an exercise mat and sit on the carpeted floor. Get a towel for you and your child to tug back and forth. This is a gentle swing and sway exercise for a parent to do with their child.

Stand Up

Standing directly behind your child, use your arms to support the underarm of the child. As the child becomes balanced and confident, reduce your support little by little by holding both hands which will be raised slightly above shoulder level. Then hold only one hand that is slightly raised above shoulder level. The child will use his or her other hand for balance as the child learns to stand alone.

Pull Ups

Find a table or chair that is very stable and is a bit higher than your child’s height... Encourage the child to pull him/herself to a standing position. Of course, we always want to praise the child's attempts to stand alone.
If a child's body is not ready to support his/her weight in standing or walking, do not encourage such exercises.

One Foot In Front Of the Other

To start getting your child to walk, stand one foot in front of the child and encourage him/her to step towards you. Gradually increase the distance between you and the child as his/her balance improves and becomes more confident. Two adults may be involved encouraging the child to walk back and forth between them.

Let’s Go Walking

Practice walking by supporting the child from behind, holding him/her under the shoulders, so the child's hands are free for balance.